Wilbur in Trouble  Again
by bean15
Summary: For once, wilbur is minding his own business when he gets kidnapped! My best friend bet me i couldn't write a story with both a plot and a Mary-sue; yes, folks, she is intentional. I won the bet from my friend... read for yourself and see what you think!
1. Teaser and Introduction

Hey everyone! Yet another MTR fanfic here. I know I have been really bad about updating my other fics, but I promise this one will get finished. Eventually.

Thanks for being patient with me. Except you, Wilbur.

Wilbur: Hey!

Me: Don't interrupt! And didn't anyone ever tell you that patience is a virtue?

Wilbur: Mom tells me that almost every day.

Me: Maybe you should listen…..

Wilbur: Hey! (crosses arms and pouts)

Me: Just kidding…you know I love you. 3

Wilbur: Yeah, yeah. I was really worried. Thanks for the advice.

Me: No problem. By the way, while I've got you here, sorry for what's gonna happen to you in this fic.

Wilbur: What are you talking about? What's gonna happen to me? What's gonna happen? What?

Me: You'll just have to be patient and find out.

Wilbur: Ya know, sometimes I really don't like you.

Me: Hey! The original idea for the fic belongs to GoobTooSave. (BTW, thanks for the idea. You and doodlegirll can still work together on that other fic, but your plan for Wilbur was too good to pass up! Thanks!)

Wilbur: What "plan" for me?

Me: You'll just have to wait like everyone else. Do you see a chapter here?

Wilbur: No.

Me: Then hold your horses and wait.

Wilbur: You know, I never actually understood that expression. "Hold your horses?"

Me: It's from the late 1800's. Maybe you should read that history homework. You do have a test tomorrow.

Wilbur: Oh man! I totally forgot! What would I do without you?

Me: Fail?

Wilbur: I so owe you one.

Me: I hope you remember this conversation when you want to kill me after I update. Just remember I already apologized. And that it makes a great story!

Wilbur: I'm warning you…..

Me: History test!

Wilbur: Gotta go!

Me: Me too. I've got sports practice. Whoo!


	2. In really BIG trouble

**Here's chapter one! Yes, actually up, I know. Record time for me. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own MTR, or any of those wonderful Robinsons themselves. Although I would dearly love to. Goodness knows how much fun we'd have together, and how much I want to beat the pants off Wilbur at chargeball. **

**Anywho, read and review please! Flames will be used to toast my marshmallows golden brown, just the way I like them, at the next Robinson family picnic. Just sayin'. **

**Read and enjoy!**

Wilbur was annoyed. He'd been in his room for over three hours studying for his algebra exam and he still didn't get it. He'd been staring at formulas, equations, and concepts, but everything was still fuzzy. For the first time in his life, Wilbur was actually stressing about a test. His math teacher, Mrs. Baker, had said that this exam was the most important test of the year. "Battle-Axe Baker" had said that no one was to miss class, or they would receive a zero. "No exceptions," she had said, pointedly looking at Wilbur.

He had actually been a little hurt, not to mention embarrassed, when she said that. Last year, he had come down with the flu during final exam week, and even though he had a signed doctor's note, every teacher this year had assumed he'd been sick on purpose. But he was going to change everything with this algebra final. It counted for almost half of his year-end grade, and if he did well enough he wouldn't fail, and he wouldn't have to go to summer school.

Of course, studying would be a lot easier if he understood the material. Then again, if he knew the material, he wouldn't have to study. Wilbur groaned and put his head on his desk. It was hopeless. He'd never learn anything in math. He'd never been able to master it before, so why should he bother trying so hard now? _Your dad was always good at math_, said a little voice inside his head. "Great. I'm so dumb I'm insulting myself." he mumbled. He sighed, and although he was firm in his belief that Wilbur Robinson did not cry, he allowed a single tear to crawl down his cheek. Just this once. No one was here to see it.

There was a knock on the door, immediately followed by Carl's voice and body. "Hey little buddy, how's that math coming?" Wilbur quickly looked up to see Carl's smiling face. Wilbur quickly brushed the tear from his cheek and smiled back. "Hi Carl. What's up?"

"Nothing much, little buddy. What's new with you? You've been in here for hours. You must be Future City's leading expert on algebra by now. Can you help me fix your dad's calculations for the new fridge?" Carl had meant to be funny, but from the look on Wilbur's face, he'd been anything but. "I'm sorry Wilbur, I just-"

"It's okay Carl, I know you didn't mean anything. I've been working so hard, and I still can't understand anything! I wish I was smart like dad. I know everyone expects me to be, and I don't want to let people down, but…" he trailed off. "It's alright Wilbur. You'll get it. You just need to give it time, that's all."

"Thanks. I think I just need to get out of this room for a while. I _have_ been in here for ages. I think I'll just walk around outside for a while."

"That's the spirit, little buddy. I'll tell Franny. She'll believe me if I tell her you were working hard and really needed to let off steam."

"Thanks. Jeez, Carl, what would I do without you?" Wilbur said in a mix of gratitude and fatigue. He passed Carl on his way out of his room, hugging him as he did so. He went downstairs and out the front door, passing Spike and Dimitri as he went. He ignored their requests for doorbell-ringing, and walked to the side of the house to sit among the topiaries, not noticing the figure stealthily creeping behind him.

Wilbur reached a tree in the backyard, his tree, the one his father had planted the day he was born. Wilbur had sat there so many times whenever something hadn't turned out the way it was supposed to, or he'd failed a test, or been picked on at school, which happened far more often than he cared to admit to either of his parents.

Now, he leaned against the tree and closed his eyes, again feeling like he wanted to cry, but this time he refused to let the tears fall. He was afraid that once he started crying, he'd never be able to stop.

He breathed in and out, steadily, forcing himself to keep his emotions in check. Just as he was beginning to relax, a hand clamped over his mouth. His eyes flew open in shock. He tried to twist away, but another hand snaked around his waist and pinned his arms to his sides. He tried to yell for help, to let someone know what was happening, but the hand over his mouth stayed tight, and kept him silent.

He was half-dragged, half-carried to a waiting car near the front of the Robinson mansion. As his assailant neared the car, another man, obviously in cahoots with Wilbur's attacker, joined them. The hand was removed from Wilbur's mouth, but only long enough for a strip of duct tape to be put there instead. Wilbur tried to yell for help, he really did, but it was no use. No one heard him, and no one expected him to be outside anyway. They all thought he was studying for his algebra final. _Oh no! _ thought Wilbur. _The final! If I'm not in school tomorrow, I'll get a zero! _

By this time, his wrists were now also bound with duct tape. They were twisted behind his back, and they were beginning to hurt. He tried once again to break free, but all he got for his trouble was a slap in the face. Wilbur, his face stinging, was shoved in the back of the waiting car, where his head hit the window with a loud crack.

Wilbur saw a red light winking at him from the corner of his eye, and realized that it belonged to a camera. "Yep, that's him alright. Good work boys." The voice came from a small speaker near the camera. When Wilbur heard it, he shuddered, and with a jolt, the car doors slammed, leaving him trapped. "Let's go." said the voice, and the car sped down the road, away from Wilbur's house.

It was then that Wilbur realized he had way bigger problems than missing his algebra final.


	3. Alive

**Next chappie! Two days in a row is a record for me. Warning: it will be short. I'm typing during lunch. **

**I will try very hard to put in something else tonight. Not looking like I'll have much homework. **

**Disclaimer: I still don't own any of the Robinsons. Wish I did. I don't. ******** did you know that yesterday (9/19) was the 25****th**** anniversary of emoticons? Just thought you might want to know. **

**Chapter 2!!!!!!!**

As the car sped off, Wilbur got the chance to get a look at the people who had kidnapped him. Even though he could see their faces clearly, he realized it was no good to remember them. They were both medium height with sandy brown hair and brown eyes. They'd never stand out in a crowd, much less a line-up. It was obvious why they'd been hired to kidnap him.

But it still wasn't obvious why he'd been kidnapped in the first place. _Oh well, _he thought. _In the movies, the kidnappers always gloat and reveal their master plans._ He breathed out. _But this isn't the movies,_ he reminded himself.

With renewed determination he tried to work his wrists free from the duct tape. Unfortunately, one of the men in the backseat saw him, and delivered a swift kick to Wilbur's stomach, just below his rib cage. All the air left Wilbur's lungs and he struggled to breathe. The tape over his mouth made it difficult to breathe anyway, but now it was almost impossible.

"Get that tape off, you imbeciles! He can't breathe! If he dies, he's not worth a cent. I want him alive." One of the men, the one who didn't kick him, reached down and ripped the tape off Wilbur's mouth. He tried to yell in pain and breathe in at the same time, but he just ended up coughing. "Yeowtch!" he said, once he'd gotten his breath back. "Shut up, kid," said the first man. "And I thought it hurt to pull off band-aids," Wilbur mumbled.

"I said shut up!" said the first man again, punching Wilbur's cheek for emphasis. This time his yell of pain was loud and clear, as he wasn't gagged.

"You'd better make him be quiet, or I won't be happy." Said the voice from the front. Apparently, this was not a person to anger, as both men in the back suddenly grew somber. One reached for the tape and promptly stuck it over Wilbur's mouth once again.

It bothered him to no end, but at least he was comforted by one thing. The man who had kidnapped him wanted him alive.


	4. Tears

**Wow. Another chapter, so soon? I must be getting really good at this. That, or I'm having an unusual number of brain blasts. ;-) **

**Here's the next chapter in Wilbur's saga. Thanks very much to those of you who reviewed. **

**Those who didn't, you know who you are. And you know you want to click the little blue box so you can tell me what you think……………**

**Disclaimer: still don't own the Robinsons. Still wish I did. Still want to beat the pants off Wilbur at chargeball. R & R please!**

**Chapter 3**

Wilbur breathed a sigh of relief. He'd been kidnapped, but his kidnapper had made it clear that he was to be kept alive. He'd been beat up, true, but he wasn't going to be killed any time soon. Before he knew it, the car jolted to a stop, and he was thrown to the floor of the car, his shoulder colliding painfully with the seat in front of him.

The two men in the back grabbed his arms and hauled him out of the backseat. They led him inside a pleasant suburban house in a pleasant enough neighborhood, exactly the place one would never suspect a kidnapper's hide out to be. The inside of the house was actually sort of pretty, but the basement cell that Wilbur saw next was most certainly not. It was pretty old-fashioned, old grimy cot in one corner, bars on the small window placed impossibly high on the wall, and cold. Very cold. There was obviously no heating down here.

_This just keeps getting better and better,_ Wilbur thought grimly. "Hey, kid. Listen up," said the first man, the one who had kicked him. "Listen up and listen good. This is the last time you'll see a human being for a while. Your food, if you're lucky enough to get it, will come down by robot and be placed outside that cell. So will your water. The bossman wants you alive, so that's how you're gonna stay."

He was clearly not happy with this arrangement, but he kept it to himself. He really wanted this stubborn kid to get what was coming to him. What his father had coming to him. He'd only agreed to work this job because he thought he was going to get to hurt the kid. Cornelius Robinson's little baby, his angel, his pride and joy. Well, that was all going to be over soon. Because no matter what the boss said, this kid was going to die, and he would have his revenge on Cornelius Robinson.

In his anger at not being allowed to kill Wilbur, he ripped the tape off his mouth again, causing Wilbur to yell. "Ouch! Would you quit doing that? It really burns!"

"Good."

"What are you talking about? I thought you weren't supposed to hurt me." he said. "Not supposed to kill you. The boss didn't say anything about hurting you." With a gleam in his eye that made Wilbur's stomach churn, he pulled his fist back, ready to strike. Wilbur closed his eyes and braced for the pain, but the mysterious voice of his kidnapper came to his aid once more.

"Stop!" His fist froze in the air. Wilbur opened his eyes a crack. He was glad. His wrists were still taped behind his back, and he couldn't have defended himself, even if he had tried. "I told you not to kill him. Now I will have to tell you what I believed was obvious. Do not hurt him. Not seriously. He will need to have bruises visible for the ransom video. Possibly a cut or two. That is all."

"I wasn't gonna hurt him too bad, just break a few bones." Wilbur gulped. He'd broken an arm once before. It was not an experience he cared to repeat. Ever. Way too painful. "Who are you talking to James? Because you couldn't be talking to me. Not in that tone." The voice had suddenly turned silkily dangerous. It spoke of hidden talents that everyone present, including Wilbur, would prefer remained hidden.

Suddenly, James was all stutters. "N-n-no s-sir. I-I-I o-only m-m-meant…"

"You only meant to undermine me! I will be generous. I will let you off this time with a warning. Don't disappoint me again."

"Y-yes sir."

"For your apology, I will let you hit him. Once. That is all. Somewhere visible. I want a nice bruise for his father to see."

"Yes sir. Thank you." The voice crackled out. James smiled his horrible smile again, making Wilbur cringe. Before he could do anything to prepare himself, James added a few etra pounds of spring to his fist and crashed it into the side of Wilbur's face. James threw him inside the cell, where his already throbbing shoulder collided into the brick wall. Wilbur cried out in pain. "There's no one to hear you down here, kid!" James said and left, laughing with the other man.

Wilbur decided for the second time that day to break his own rule, and put his head on his knees and dissolved into tears.


	5. Where's Wilbur?

**Again with the updating. Yay me! It seems I have a band of very loyal followers that I don't want to disappoint. And I really don't want ****doodlegirll**** to sic an angry mobster froggie on me. And I have lots of study halls today, and not much homework to go with them. (double yay.) there is a real chapter in here, I promise. Wilbur just gets in the way. But that's why we love him:-)**

**Random fact of the chapter: pomegranates have 613 seeds. Every one of them. Maybe that's why the juice costs so much. ;-) random facts are fun. I might start putting one in each chapter, just for kicks and giggles. I think I will. **

**Disclaimer: **_**Still**_** don't own any of the Robinsons. BUT! The kidnappers and the mastermind are mine, as well as the OC that will show up later as Wilbur's romantic interest. **

**Wilbur: I get a romantic interest? Cool.**

**Me: I wasn't going to put you through all this junk just to go back to your normal life, was I? Besides, I thought you deserved a reward. **

**Wilbur: Yeah, about that? I've got a few things to say to you about that last chapter. **

**Me: Save it. I'll make it up to you with my OC. I promise. **

**Wilbur: Really? After James, I'm not sure I believe you. **

**Me: Fine. Miss out on all the cool romantic stuff I have planned for you guys, like the totally awesome kiss somewhere in chapter 12. **

**Wilbur: Chapter 12?!?!?!? I can't wait that long! What's wrong with a totally awesome kiss in this chapter, huh?**

**Me: A little thing called a plot anachronism. **

**Wilbur: (crosses his arms) Ya know, if you don't know the answer, you don't get to just make up words.**

**Me: It is a real word. It means that an event doesn't happen the right time, or it doesn't happen where or when it's supposed to. **

**Wilbur: Okaaay, so tell me when it **_**is**_** supposed to happen. **

**Me: I can't! I'm not going to ruin the story for all these lovely people who want to read it for themselves!**

**Wilbur: (sigh) Fine. But will you at least tell me if I'm a good kisser?**

**Me: I don't know.**

**Wilbur: What do you mean, you don't know? You're writing it!**

**Me: I don't know whether you're a good kisser. I haven't kissed you. **

**Wilbur: (blushing furiously) I…I-I d-d-didn't……I…w-well………**

**Me: How 'bout you quit while you're ahead, and I just write the chapter?**

**Wilbur: (still blushing) S-sounds good to me.**

**Chapter 4!!!!!!!!!**

It had been two hours since Franny had seen her son, and although she knew he had been working hard and deserved a break, she thought two hours was pushing it. As she passed Carl, Franny said, "Hey, Carl, would you go find Wilbur and tell him to come back inside? I understand he needed a break, but he needs to get back to work now."

"I'd be happy to Mrs. Robinson, but I thought he was already back inside."

"What do you mean Carl?"

"Well, when I looked outside a couple hours ago, I saw him by that tree of his, you know, the one Mr. Robinson planted the day he was born? I always thought that was really sweet…a beautiful metaphor for-"

"Carl! Can we get back to Wilbur?" said Franny, exasperated. "Sure, Mrs. Robinson, sorry 'bout that. Anyway, I looked about ten minutes later and Wilbur wasn't there anymore. I assumed he'd gone back inside to study." Franny frowned. "Wilbur, my Wilbur, go back to study on his own? More like he went to pester his father about some new invention."

"Sorry, Mrs. Robinson, but you didn't see Wilbur before he went outside. He was pretty shaken up about this test. I know he didn't want me to see it, but when I came in his room, he'd almost started to cry. He's really worried about this final."

"Why didn't he just ask his father for help?"

"You know Wilbur. Streak of pride wider than the Grand Canyon. He'd never ask anyone for help. Besides, asking you or his dad for help would seem like he let you down. Wilbur knows he's not as mathematically gifted as his father, or as musically talented as you. This test, if he does well on it, will be his way of making you proud, of not disappointing you or your husband."

Franny thought about this. That was interesting. She'd never put herself in Wilbur's place before. As the only child of such amazing parents, of course everyone in the city expected great things from him, but what if what they expected wasn't what they got? There was absolutely no reason to have that kind of burden on anyone's shoulders, least of all her son's. "I'll go talk to him Carl. He needs to hear from both Cornelius and me that we love him no matter what, and we'd never be disappointed in him."

"Well-said, Mrs. R. Now, if you don't mind, I've gotta go. I'm late."

"For what?" asked Franny curiously. "Well, Mr. Robinson finally fixed the fridge and we're going to the movies this afternoon. We've got tickets for the remake of 'You've Got Mail.'" Carl left, and Franny went up to Wilbur's room. When she knocked on the door and got no answer, she went inside. She saw everything on the desk, exactly as Wilbur had left it two hours ago. Muttering to herself about her messy and forgetful son, she decided to check the grounds.

She met her husband near the front door and she invited him along. It was rare to see Cornelius outside the lab in the middle of the afternoon. As they walked, Franny told Cornelius what Carl had told her. They both agreed to tell Wilbur in no uncertain terms that they would always love him no matter what, and he could never do anything to disappoint them.

Cornelius stopped when they reached Wilbur's tree. He looked at it fondly and said, "I remember the day I planted this."

"So do I. I remember when you used to take better care of it too."

"What are you talking about? I come out here every day."

"Well, you must have been getting lazy this week. Look, honey, the grass is all trampled and the dirt scuffed. And look, here, this branch is broken almost clean through!"

"That wasn't there yesterday. In fact, that wasn't there this morning. I came out early today, before breakfast. None of this was here."

"Well, Carl did say Wilbur came out here…" Franny trailed off. "No," said Cornelius. "Fran, he'd never do this to his tree. He loves it as much as I do. He sort of looks at it at en extension of himself. I don't like to say this, but…"

"What, honey? Please, say whatever you think you need to."

"Maybe something happened here. Carl saw Wilbur two hours ago, but no one's seen him since. Wilbur, from what you've told me was upset, distracted. I don't want to go down that path if I don't have to, but I don't think that branch was broken by a Robinson." Franny slowly digested the implication of her husband's last sentence, and ran into the house, fueled by a mother's worry for her child.

Cornelius was close behind as she ran into the security room. The Robinson mansion was well-equipped in case anyone decided to break into the lab. Unless that someone was Wilbur Robinson, in which case all security measures were useless.

On the monitor, Cornelius pulled up the rear and main house camera feed from two hours ago, and he and Franny watched in horror as the two men came at Wilbur from behind, overpowered him, and dragged him into the waiting car. As they watched the car zoom off the screen, Franny made a small sound that tore at Cornelius' very soul. No mother should ever have to watch her child be taken away from her.

"Franny?" he said tentatively. He was sick with worry about his son, but he knew it was nothing to what Franny felt. She ran past him, out the front door, past Spike and Dimitri, as her son had done hours before, towards the driveway. She stopped dead at the tire tracks the car had made as its tires burned and squealed as it made its getaway, with her son tied up in the backseat.

She fell into her husband's waiting embrace. Seeing these tire tracks made this all too real. "We'll get him back Fran, Don't worry. We'll get him back," sid Cornelius, trying to reassure himself more than her. "What do we do Cornelius? What do we do? Wilbur, he…" she stopped, her son's name catching in her throat. "I'm not sure, Fran. The kidnap- the people who took him, they'll contact us. They'll tell us what they want."

"When?"

"I don't know. We'll just have to wait." Wait. Wait for news about Wilbur. Wait for the kidnappers to tell them why they'd taken their son. Wait for an answer. Wait to see if Wilbur was alright. Neither of them wanted to wait another second. But they knew they had no choice.

**Sorry for the cliffie, but lunch calls. I'll try to upload again today. If not, sorry for making y'all hope! **

**I've relayed all your messages to Wilbur, those of you who gave me them. He's glad to know you care. And now, I really have to go, as he's begging me to buy him food. He's such a moocher. But I love him anyway. ;-)**

**Bye!**

**-Emily**


	6. You're FIRED!

**Wow, I'm really proud of myself. Updating again! I only put up the last chapter 45 minutes ago, so I'm not surprised that there are no new reviews since then. **

**Thank you guys for your loyal support, and **_**patience**_** with me, as well as your compliments and insistence on updating. **

**And doodlegirll, thanks you for not making Frankie come after me. You know I'm not jerky. (tell Thomas he doesn't need to worry about meeko's coffee today. tell meeko his coffee is in his trailer. lol)**

**Random fact of the chapter: ****In England, the Speaker of the House (in Parliament) is not allowed to speak.** **weird. whatever.**

**Chapter 5!!!!!!!!!!**

_the next morning_

Wilbur woke up with a splitting headache. He groaned, and rolled over, hoping to smell the eggs and bacon he hoped his mother would cook for breakfast. Instead, he was quickly brought to reality when he rolled onto his injured shoulder and a fresh wave of pain coursed through his arm, which was still tied behind his back.

All the events fro the day before came rushing back at once. He groaned again, and though he felt the urge to cry, he held the tears back. There was no way he was going to lose it again. He looked around the cell. Apparently, he'd never made it to the cot and had spent the night on the hard, unyielding cement floor. Ouch. Not going to happen again, that's for sure.

He heard a noise above him, and looked out from the bars on his cell to see a robot come down from the ceiling, delivering a paper cup of water and one extremely dry crust of bread. "Jeez, all this money and I get the bread crust?" He jumped when James' voice came out of the robot. "Shut up!" Wilbur hadn't meant for anyone else to hear that.

"You stupid kid, you'll take what you can get, and you'll be happy about it."

"What does it matter anyway? I can't even reach it, let alone eat it. My hands are still tied behind my back. There's no way I can get to that." Wilbur was beyond annoyed, and feeling cranky. Almost anyone would be, after what he'd been through.

"Holy hell, you're difficult. I don't understand how your parents deal with you. If you were my kid, I'd kill you. Which I will someday. Someday kid, I will kill you." Wilbur tried to keep the fear out of his voice when he answered. "Come down and say that to my face, why don't you?"

"You know what kid? I think I will. I have orders to get that ransom demand ready, and from the camera inside this robot, I can see that bruise on your face really matured last night. Your face is as black and blue as your clothes." It really creeped Wilbur out that this James guy could laugh like that at the idea of hurting another person. Especially a kid. Especially him.

A few seconds later, Wilbur heard James' footsteps coming down the rickety staircase, and wished he hadn't said what he did. Who knew what James would do to him? Would he hit him? Or worse……Wilbur shuddered. He didn't even want to think about that.

James unlocked the door to Wilbur's cell and dragged him out. He hauled him upright and used the duct tape to tie him to an old metal folding chair. "You really like that tape, don't you?" cracked Wilbur. "It worked for the astronauts aboard Apollo 13, didn't it? If it'll hold a spaceship together, it'll certainly keep you quiet." And with that, he put a strip of tape over Wilbur's mouth for the third time in two days.

James moved away to set up the camera that the boss had given him for the ransom video. "Mmmmph! Mmmmph mmmmmph! Mmm mmm mmmmmph!"

"That's great, kid. Just what the boss wanted." James watched and filmed for about another minute as Wilbur struggled to free himself from the chair, and then stopped the camera. He pulled a long knife from his pocket, and made sure Wilbur saw it. As soon as he did, he stopped squirming. "Kid, if you don't hold still and do exactly what I want, you'll have one less finger."

Involuntarily, Wilbur curled his fingers under his hands. James saw this, and laughed. "Smart kid." James used the camera to capture the look of fear and revulsion on Wilbur's face when he suggested cutting his fingers. He also made sure to get a good shot of the huge purple and blue bruise on Wilbur's cheek. James would have dearly loved to see the look on Cornelius Robinson's face when he saw that.

After he'd gotten a few more shots, James ripped the tape off Wilbur's mouth. After crying out in pain, Wilbur rotated his jaw for a few seconds. All this tape was really messing with his mouth. What he really wanted was some chapstick. James used his knife to cut the duct tape away from the chair, and, upon reflection, to cut the duct tape from around Wilbur's wrists.

As soon as his wrists were free, he quickly put a hand to his still-aching shoulder and massaged it. When he looked down at himself, he could tell it was swelling, and he couldn't move it without huge amounts of pain. "There, you whiny brat. Now eat your bread crusts in peace. Feel better now that you can use your hands?"

"No," mumbled Wilbur. But James heard anyway. He grabbed Wilbur by the shirt and hoisted him six inches in the air. Wilbur shut his eyes and on instinct brought his arms up to shield his face. James grabbed his wrist, the one connected to his injured shoulder and twisted. Wilbur grit his teeth against the pain, not wanting to give James the satisfaction of knowing how much he was hurting him. James kept twisting though. Finally, Wilbur could hold it in no longer, and he let out a strangled sob. "Please! Please stop. I- I'll do anything. Please…"

"Did your father stop after he humiliated me? No. He didn't. So I won't stop either."

"You will stop." Once again, the voice had come to Wilbur's rescue. "I told you once, and I made it clear that I did not wish to tell you a second time, I do not want you to hurt the boy when it is unnecessary. Let him go." The voice was soft, dangerously so. By this time, Wilbur had learned that the softer the voice got, the faster you wanted to run away. For a second, Wilbur thought James was going to ignore the voice, but James let him go. He dropped him, right onto the concrete floor. He landed on his shoulder, and he moaned in pain. He sat up and cradled his shoulder close to his chest, for fear that James would hurt him again.

"Wilbur Robinson." Said the voice of his kidnapper. "Y-yes?" said Wilbur, afraid to hear what came next. "Wilbur Robinson, this imbecile will never come near you again. He has utterly and completely failed me. I believed he was mature enough to put aside his hatred for your father. He disappointed me. He is now, officially dismissed from my service."

"What?!?" James was incredulous. "Yes, James. You are dismissed. You have twenty minutes to take your belongings and get off my property. If any of my people see you on the streets, you will be treated as an enemy. You are unreliable and untrustworthy. You have no control over your own actions, and you are no longer a part of this operation. If you breathe a word of it, you will regret it until the moment you die, which, unfortunately for you, will be shortly after you reveal me."

Wilbur was in shock. This voice was actually protecting him. James was fuming. He turned to go up the stairs to get his things, but he turned and went back to Wilbur one last time. He grabbed Wilbur's shirt and hauled him up. "Be careful, Wilbur Robinson," he breathed into his ear. "You're not going to be valuable forever, and when your stock falls, I'll be waiting." As Wilbur stared into the ice cold eyes in front of him, he knew that James meant what he said.

James shoved Wilbur backwards into his cell, turned the key, and locked him in. Wilbur was glad to have bars between him and the murderously angry James. He held his injured arm close, and backed up until he hit the wall. James went up the stairs and out the front door, dropping the ransom photos and video in the dining room table as he went.

As soon as Wilbur heard the front door slam shut, his knees buckled in relief. He slowly made his way over to the cot, and allowed himself to sink into it. He lay on his back, holding his arm so his shoulder would hurt the least amount possible. He thought about his parents, and had to hold back a fresh set of tears.

As he closed his eyes, he forced himself to think of the food fight he'd had at dinner last night with his family. Carl, of all people, had flung mashed potatoes at him, and surprisingly, they'd hit their mark. Wilbur had been scoffing at Carl's bad aim one minute, and had been wiping mashed potatoes, butter and gravy from his face the next. He smiled, and comforted by thoughts of his family, he relaxed and let sleep overcome him.


	7. Filler and Funness

**Hey everybody! Technically, there is no chapter here, but Mi Mi (GoobTooSave) and I have had many PM conversations with dear darling Wilbur, and the two of us thought that you, my faithful readers, ought to know what's been happening after hours.**

**I will update very **_**very**_** soon with more chapters, but we thought you guys should know what Wilbur's been saying. I certainly found it funny. ; - )**

Mi Mi: Yes, Carl is a bit corny. LOL! I can totally see him loving romantic comedies. And yes, I can see Wilbur liking them, too. It's just a weird enough thing to happen!

Wilbur: I'm not weird!

Mi Mi: Prove it.

Wilbur: Wha- how?

Mi Mi: Kiss Emily.

Wilbur: No!

Mi Mi: You know you want to. You've been flirting all day now!

Wilbur: (gasp) Have NOT!

Mi Mi: Don't deny it, Robinson.

Wilbur: I'll deny YOUR MOM!

Mi Mi: Your mom.

Wilbur: My mom is awesome Mi Mi! Don't even go there, girl!

Mi Mi: Oh, I HAVE!

(Wilbur pouts in corner).

Mi Mi: It's true. (LOL!)

Me: Hi Mi Mi! Wilbur is standing over my shoulder making sure that I have a "little chat" with you about the embarrassing conversation you two had earlier.

Me: (to Wilbur) See, Wilbur, I do actually listen to you.

Wilbur: Not enough you don't. Tell her that under no uncertain terms do I like romantic comedies.

Me: But……you do.

Wilbur: Web of LIES! I do not!

Me: Do too.

Wilbur: Do not.

Me: Do too.

Wilbur: Do not.

Me: Do too.

Wilbur: Do NOT!

Me: You know, it's doing stuff like this that makes people think that you're flirting with me...

Wilbur: Not you too! First Mi Mi thinks I'm flirting, then you.

Me: What am I supposed to think? Other guys would jump at the thought of giving me a kiss.

Wilbur: Don't think I wouldn't- Wait. Some other guy has kissed you? When? Where? And where was I? What haven't you been telling me?!?!?!?

Me: Sorry, buddy. I don't "kiss and tell."

Wilbur: Tell me, I'm your best friend! Besides, I need to know who this guy is. (mumbles) so I can KILL him...

Me: Oh, who's getting jealous?

Wilbur: I am NOT jealous! (pouts) I'm just concerned, that's all.

Me: Concerned that you'll lose your status as my number one guy?

Wilbur: No, I'm concerned about some other guy kissing y- wait, I'm your number one guy?

Me: Well...

Wilbur: Come on, Emmy, don't be like that...please? Come on, you know you want to tell me. Please?

Me: Wilbur, while you sit there wheedling me, you forget that Mi Mi is on the other end of the conversation, waiting for you to yell at her for suggesting that you kiss me.

Wilbur: I was gonna yell at her? Oh yeah, I was. Whatever. Mi Mi, just don't do it again, kay? There, that should do it. She listens, right? She's not gonna tease me again?

Me: Whatever, Wilbur. I can't control her. Besides, watching her embarrass you was REALLY funny.

Me: (To Mi Mi) Thanks for the message, buddy. Sorry this one might be a little long, but I know you said you don't mind long ones. That and I just can't get dear old Wilbur to shut up! ; - ) Maybe the only way to do that is to stop his mouth with a kiss! (ooooooh...scandalous!) I hope he didn't hear that! ; - )

_**The next day………**_

Mi Mi: Wilbur, what's up with you?

Wilbur: Shut up, okay? I don't LIKE GIRLS! Got it?

Mi Mi: Wait- you like BOYS?

Wilbur: Eww, no! I just . . . well, stop saying I wanna kiss Emily!

Mi Mi: Jeez, I was just kidding, why are you so steamed?

Wilbur: You just don't get it, Mi Mi!

Mi Mi: You're right. I don't. I'm too young to get it.

Wilbur: It's sort of embarrassing, so stop accusing me of flirting!

Mi Mi: I'm sorry . . .

Wilbur: It's ok. I'm just a little emotional today.

Mi Mi: Yeah, one big emotional commotion.

Wilbur: I'm sorry I yelled at you.

(Mi Mi gives Wilbur a tight, Lewis-like hug and then lets go).

Wilbur: What was that for?!?

Mi Mi: For making me another believer.

Wilbur: . . . huh?

Mi Mi: (sigh) Wilbur, I get it. You like Emily. I can tell. You get all nervous whenever I mention her and that's okay. It's normal. But you can't ask me about it. I don't know what love is. I don't like guys yet. I'm immature!

Wilbur: You can say that again . . .

Mi Mi: WHAT?!?

_**Yet another day has gone by, and Wilbur, Mi Mi and I are still in heated debate………**_

Me: (to Mi Mi) PLEASE don't send Doris after me...anything but that! You know I'll update. Just remember, if you send Doris after me when I don't update, I'll never be able to update again... lol. Oh, Wilbur says hi, and to tell you that even though you thought he missed your comment about him liking me, he totally didn't miss it, and that you should mind your own business, cuz' who he likes doesn't concern you. (Whew! He talks way faster than I can type. hope i got everything he said.) On a personal note, I did notice that he didn't exactly _deny_ that he liked me, so there still might be hope.

Wilbur: Hey Em, what did I miss?

Me: (glancing guiltily at the computer screen) Um...nothing?

Wilbur: I don't believe you. Gimme that mouse. (scrolls up the screen) Hey! Mi Mi said she's gonna sic Doris on you?

Me: That's what she said. But only if I don't update my story.

Wilbur: The story about me?

Me: No, my other story. Of course, the one about you, silly! Then again, I have been meaning to update my Artemis Fowl story...

Wilbur: Don't you dare! You'd leave me all alone in a cold basement jail cell with bars on the windows? By the way, you couldn't even give me a blanket or a pillow? That cot doesn't sound very comfortable.

Me: It's not supposed to be. And no, Mr. Whiny-pants, I wouldn't leave you all alone down there. That would be mean.

Wilbur: And it wasn't mean to have me kidnapped?!?!?!?

Me: I already told you, I'll make it up to you! You're almost halfway to chapter twelve.

Wilbur: That's all well and good, but pairing me with an OC is pointless when all these people keep thinking I'm in love with _you_.

Me: Are you?

Wilbur: I - what?

Me: _Are_ you in love with me?

Wilbur: I can't believe you're asking me this! We are not having this conversation. We are NOT talking about this.

Me: You didn't answer the question, Wilbur.

Wilbur: I'm not going to answer it. It's ridiculous! I can't believe we're having this conversation!

Me: Well, if you're going to be like that...

Wilbur: I am.

Me: Fine. I won't speak to you until you answer me.

Wilbur: What? Emily, come on. That's...that's...that's just...

Me: ...

Wilbur: Em, seriously. You can't go that long without talking to me. (bites his lip) Can you?

Me: ...

Wilbur: (after about 10 minutes of silence) Aarrgh! Fine! I'll answer.

Me: ...

Wilbur: I guess I kinda ... sorta ... you know ... maybe...Well, I mean, you know what I mean, right?

Me: ...

Wilbur: You're not making this any easier. (sighs) I sort of, well, I, you know...

Me: ...

Wilbur: I have a crush on you, okay?

Me: There. Was that so hard?

Wilbur: You weren't any help. (bites his lip again. I love when he does that. It's so cute!) Hey, since this whole thing's kinda complicated and sort of embarrassing, can you finish this conversation really soon?

Me: Okay Wilbur. Whatever you say. Bye Mi Mi!

Wilbur: Wait just a darn minute! I said all of this in front of Mi Mi?!?!? She better not say anything about it! Not to anyone. especially doodlegirll. I just know she'll tease me too.

Me: I can ask her to be nice, but she'll probably tell Robi. You know, Robi _is_ a loyal reviewer, and she's probably seen you flirting with me anyway.

Wilbur: Whatever. I'm leaving now, before I say anything else that can be used against me later.

Me: Bye Mi Mi!

_**The next morning, after reflection on her threat to send Doris after me in a rage………**_

Mi Mi: (to me…about sending Doris after me) Good point. If a random robot hat sucks out your brain, how can you update? Hmm . . . I do hate DORIS with a burning passion so how about Tiny instead? He's cute.

Mi Mi: (to Wilbur) So, you like Emily? That's SO cute!

Wilbur: (groans) It's not CUTE. It's just . . . whatever.

Mi Mi: Whoa, rewind! It's just 'whatever?' So Emily is just "whatever"? Oh, you are in SO much trouble when I tell her!

Wilbur: No . . . I didn't mean that! I just don't know how to descr-

Mi Mi: Listen, Mr. Hotshot! You can say what you want, but when you start

dissing my friends then you're going way too far! So why don't you take your rich, spoiled butt somewhere else, pal?

Wilbur: No, Mi Mi. It's not like that!

Mi Mi: Oh, I know what it's like, doofus! (yelling) EMY!

Me: What?

Mi Mi: Wilbur called you-

Wilbur: (covering her mouth) pretty!

Mi Mi: What?

Me: Aww, Wilbur! You're too cute!

Mi Mi: But he didn't-

Me: Didn't what?

Wilbur: (face flushed with nervousness towards Emily and anger towards Mi Mi) I… ummmm... I forgot to buy you a rose ...

Me: Oh, Wilbur! It's okay. There's no special occasion.

Wilbur: Yeah, but I still feel stupid.

Mi Mi: (sourly) Maybe it's because you ARE.

Wilbur: Sounds like someone's jealous.

Mi Mi: (gasp) WHAT! I AM MOST CERTAINLY NOT!

Me: (smiling) Sure you aren't.

Mi Mi: Bye, Emy!

* * *

**I can only imagine the look on Wilbur's face when he realizes that I posted this. Uh oh spaghetti-o's! I'm in trouble...**

**By the way, I just got in. Whew! Wilbur took me out to dinner at a really nice Italian place. Just the two of us, no crazy (but extremely loveable) family members. He was really sweet. And for those of you who are still wondering from the author's note from chapter 4...just in case you were wondering, Wilbur is a really _really_ REALLY good kisser. **

**I don't kiss and tell, but I thought you guys should know. Now I'm really gonna be in trouble with Wilbur! ; - ) I hope he'll still take me out again...**

**hmmm...I wonder if he thinks I'm as good a kisser as I think he is...**

* * *


	8. More Filler and Funness

**Author's Note: I will stick another chapter up here wither tonight or before 1:00 pm tomorrow. I promise. But there has been even more scandal going on backstage. Thought all you loyal readers should know. **

**I think that GoobTooSave has got it **_**bad**_** for Goob. He's so cute!**

**Wilbur: Not as cute as me though, right? (pause) Right?!?**

**Me: Whatever you say, Wilbur. **

**Wilbur: If that was supposed to reassure me of your undying love, it didn't work.**

**Me: (after a long kiss) Did that work?**

**Wilbur: Holy macaroni! Where'd you learn to do that? **

**Me: That's for me to know and you to find out.**

**Wilbur: Okay by me. (grins) Just post the conversations and that chapter already, so I can kiss you again. **

**Me: Easy, tiger. Don't kiss and tell!**

**Wilbur: You did!**

**Me: True, but not the point. Besides, I gave you major props!**

**Wilbur: True, but also not the point. Just put them up already! **

**Me: Whatever you say, Wilbur. (huggles him)**

**Wilbur: (blushing) Well, what are you waiting for? Scroll down and read! Nothing to see here, nothing!**

* * *

Me: (to Mi Mi) PM me some more. I love opening my e-mail and seeing a message from you. They're always funny, both Wilbur and I think so.

Wilbur: Except for the part where you won't stop having me kidnapped!

Me: Just deal, Mr. Whiny-pants.

Wilbur: Will you stop calling me that?!? It's really not as funny as you think it is.

Me: The name's not that funny, but the look on your face certainly is!

(Giggles and kisses him on the cheek)

Wilbur: (blushing) Thank you very much, but don't think that I'm gonna

forgive you just because y-

Me: (kisses Wilbur full on the mouth for a good thirty seconds) Forgive me now?

Wilbur: (breathing heavily) That's not fair! You're a really good kisser.

Me: Thanks, but not the point. Do you forgive me or not?

Wilbur: Fine, I forgive you, but it's really not fair when you do that. You know I can't resist your kisses...

Me: Aw, you're sweet! What brought this on?

Wilbur: Hey! What's that supposed to mean? Aren't I sweet all the time? What about dinner that other night?

Me: Yeah, okay. You were a gentleman at dinner. And at the movies too.

Wilbur: Okay, easy, you don't need to tell Mi Mi everything. I know I've already given her enough ammo. She doesn't need to know anything else about what happened at dinner.

Me: Um, Wilbur? You haven't read the last chapter of my story, have you?

Wilbur: No, why? What did you say?

Me: I kinda sorta posted all these lovely PM conversations that you and I have had with Mi Mi and told everybody that you took me out to dinner and...

Wilbur: You told them that?!? Did you tell them anything else?

Me: I told them that you were a really REALLY good kisser...

Wilbur: You said what?!?!?!? I can't believe you told th- you think I'm a good kisser?

Me: Yeah, well, duh.

Wilbur: WAHOO!

_**The next day………**_

Mi Mi: (about PM's to me) I love opening PMs. Especially about Wilbur or Goob. . .

Wilbur: You're still jealous, aren't you?

Mi Mi: Who, me? No way!

Wilbur: Oh, that's right. You're too much in love with GOOB to even THINK about ME!

Mi Mi: (blushing) That's not true! Who told you that?!?

Wilbur: I have my ways . . .

Mi Mi: (screaming) WELL YOUR WAYS ARE WRONG! (quietly) And don't you bring Mikey into this . . .

Wilbur: Ooh, I think you likey . . .

Mi Mi: No I don't!

Wilbur: (grinning ear to ear) Oh, really. Why don't I just run over and tell him, then. I'm sure that's what you want.

Mi Mi: No . . . I . . . . don't . . .

Wilbur: I'm sure you'd just LOVE to crush his heart, now wouldn't you, you little IMP!

Mi Mi: NO! IT'S NOT TRUE!

Wilbur: I bet you do, you demon girl! You think about it day and night. EVEN DURING GYM CLASS! In fact-

Me: Wilbur, lay off. Cut her some slack! What did she ever do to you?

Wilbur: Post our conversations on the internet!

Me: That was me!

Wilbur: Oh . . .

Me: Wilbur, say you're sorry RIGHT NOW!

Wilbur: But I . . . but . . . she . . .

(Emily raises an eyebrow and Wilbur puts on a pout. Mi Mi looks up at Wilbur with sad puppy eyes).

Wilbur: I'm sorry . . .

(Mi Mi squeezes Wilbur in a hug).

Wilbur: Can you . . . let . . . go . . . now?

Mi Mi: (shakes her head) Not done yet.

Wilbur: (gives Emily a, "Do I seriously have to put up with this?" look)

Me: What do you expect? You're a movie character!

(Mi Mi lets go).

Wilbur: Mi Mi, go hang out with Goob or something . . .

Mi Mi: OKAY! (runs off)

Wilbur: Emily, you owe me one!

Me: Why? All I was doing was making you be nice.

Wilbur: Yeah, to that little brat!

Me: (playful punches him) WIL!

Wilbur: I'm still looking for my apology.

Me: (smiles and kisses him).

Wilbur: Now that's what I meant!

* * *

**Well, that's all that's happened so far… I promise I'll post the chapter next!!!**

**Wilbur: Yeah, if she doesn't get me out of that cell soon, I'm gonna…**

**Me: You're gonna what?**

**Wilbur: (sheepishly) N-n-nothing………just type. Type like the wind!**

**Me: Bye! Thanks for the reviews everyone!**


	9. I Trust You

**Thanks for the reviews all. Here is an actual chappie. Enjoy!**

_The next morning………_

Franny had been pacing since she woke up. That was six hours ago. Cornelius had begged her to eat something. "No Cornelius. I- I can't. I'm too worried about Wilbur."

"I know Fran. But if you don't eat something, you're going to be the one I'm worried about." Cornelius sighed. Franny was an incredibly strong woman, but right now she was struggling to maintain her composure while imagining her son in a dark cellar somewhere.

Which, coincidentally, was where he was. Wilbur groaned. The voive had come down through the basement speakers again and told him that the ransom note and video were being delivered today. He really didn't want his parents to see him like that. He groaned again, and gingerly touched his shoulder and winced. It still hurt. It still hurt a lot, and it was definitely swollen.

He hoped his parents wouldn't worry about him too much.

Franny was still pacing when the doorbell rang. Distracted, she went to answer the door, but when she opened it, there was no one there. She asked Spike and Dimitri who had rung the doorbell, but they both said, rather loudly, that the doorbell had been rung by a rock. Someone had thrown it and hit their mark perfectly. In fact, the doorbell still had a scratch where the rock had hit it.

Franny looked down and saw a pristine white package on the front step. Knowing what it must be, and that it had something to do with her son, Franny stooped down, picked it up, and ran into the house.

"Cornelius! Something came! I think it's about Wilbur!" He came running at the mention of his son's name. So did the rest of the Robinsons, who by now had been told why they hadn't seen Wilbur in a few days. Cornelius opened the white package carefully. The first thing to fall out were the pictures. Franny gasped, then choked back a sob. What had they done to her baby?

The whole family soon saw the pictures, and the silence and tension in the room could be cut with a knife. Cornelius shook the package upside down and the video dropped out. As they watched, the whole family grew fearful for Wilbur, and grew angry at his kidnappers. No one knew why anyone would do this to him. He may have been a mischievous little bugger on occasion, but he'd never done anything to deserve this.

"Is there a note or something?" said Gaston. "I hate to push this, but isn't it kind of odd that they'd show you……this…..without telling you what they want from you?" Aunt Billie picked up the package and realized that there was a note stuck inside, unseen because it was white, just like the package itself. "Cornelius, there's something here. I…" she handed it to him, her hand shaking. Cornelius read it out loud.

"_Robinsons-_

_It is clear that you are now fully aware of your son's predicament. Perhaps more aware than you ever wanted to be. Wilbur is alive, and except for a few bruises and a very wounded ego, he is in fairly good health. That could change in a heartbeat. If I do not receive what I ask for, be assured it will change. _

_I want two things. I want 5 billion dollars. I have money, but there is no such thing as enough. I also want something a little more personal. I want Francesca Robinson to retire from music. Permanently. She will no longer involve herself in any musical activities. Ever. _

_If she does not agree to this, or the money is not left alone in the tunnel on the south side of Laney Park by midnight next Friday, Wilbur Robinson will die."_

Cornelius finished, somber and silent. If the tension in the room had seemed strong before, it was nothing compared to what it was now. "Why is the kidnapper so angry with me?" asked Franny. "I'm not sure, but we'll figure it out, sweetie. Fran, right now we need to find a way to come up with five billion dollars in a week." The Robinsons nodded. Not a single one of them even contemplated the thought of not paying. They wanted their Wilbur back. They needed him back.

"What if…never mind." Said Uncle Art. "What?" said Franny, eyeing her older brother. "Well, what if we mounted a rescue mission? Find Wilbur before the money's due. Get him back, you know, before they do anything else to him...Never mind. Forget I said anything." Cornelius frowned. "Actually, that's pretty genius. But who could ever pull off something like that? Who has the skills, the mind, the fighting power?"

"Actually, I know the perfect person. She works with me. She helps me deliver pizza sometimes. Her name's Emily. Nice girl, but I've seen her fight when a couple deliveries went badly. When she gets angry, whew. I certainly don't want to be on the other end. She's real smart too. First in her class. Her IQ's about 210." Cornelius whistled. "That's high. Alright, Art. Let's meet this mystery pizza delivery girl." He looked a Franny. He knew she was having doubts about this, but he calmed her down with a loving embrace, and reassured her that her baby boy would be just fine.

_A few hours later_

The doorbell rang, and Franny jumped. Art answered the door, and let Emily in. "Hey, buddy," she said, smiling briefly before becoming serious. "Where's Mr. and Mrs. Robinson?" Art led her into the kitchen. When Franny saw her, she immediately noticed her air of confidence and her powerful aura of the ability to do anything she planned to do.

As she walked up to Emily, she looked at her and spoke. "I trust you." Those three little words, and she was trusting her son's life to this girl. She couldn't be any older than Wilbur. He was seventeen, but still. Regardless, Franny trusted her to find her son and bring him home.


	10. First Meetings

**Hey everyone! Here's another chapter. I feel terrible that I didn't update for a few days there during the weekend, but I'm updating again now that I'm back in school. Go figure. **

**I also feel really bad that I have not been keeping up with my random facts of the chapters. Here goes, I'll try to make up for the lack of randomness, although Wilbur's comments certainly helped. **

**There is no word in the English language that rhymes with MONTH, ORANGE, SILVER, and PURPLE.**

**Every time you lick a stamp, you consume 1/10 of a calorie.**

**The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket. **

**More randomness to follow in my next author notes. (Wilbur's getting closer to Chapter 12! Yay for him. Just so all y'all loyal reviewers know, naming my OC after me was Wilbur's idea, not mine. He insisted. What can I say? I'm a softie. **

Wilbur was, once again, alone in the basement, and worrying about his parents. They must have gotten the ransom video by now, but he didn't know what the kidnapper wanted form his parents. He figured it was probably money, as it was no secret that both his parents had successful careers, but how much did they want? And how far would these people go to get it?

Emily sat in the Robinson family kitchen, sipping the hot chocolate and eating the pie that Franny had compulsively baked out of worry for Wilbur. By now, Emily knew the particulars. She knew Wilbur had been kidnapped, she'd seen the pictures, the ransom video, and the ransom note. When she'd seen what the kidnappers had done to Wilbur, her normally rosy cheeks had blotched with anger and she balled her fists, rather than crash them through a wall. Franny had nearly burst into tears watching her son get hurt again. Emily had reached out for her hand and, as she took it, she'd said, "Don't worry Mrs. Robinson. We'll get them. We'll get Wilbur back, and he'll be alright, you'll see."

Franny did something she hadn't done since Wilbur disappeared. She smiled. "I know. I trust you," she said. Emily felt the weight of her words, and indeed the words of the entire family as they echoed Franny's trust. She hoped her slender shoulders would be able to bear it. For Wilbur.

Twenty minutes later, as she was going through Franny's records, hoping to find someone with a grudge, Carl came into the study. "Um, Emily? I hate to interrupt, but……"

"No worries, Carl. Come right in. How are you?" The tone of concern in her voice made Carl relax right away. Even though her job was to find Wilbur, she was still concerned for the family, and somehow knew how to tailor her help so that each of the Robinsons felt as though they were getting individual attention. "Well," said Carl, "I got the security tapes from Cornelius, you know, the tape that shows Wilbur getting . . . you know . . ."

"Yeah Carl. I know." She put her arm around the robot's metal shoulders, and he leaned into her, wanting to feel safe, and wanting more than anything to know that his little buddy was going to be alright. Carl loaded the security tape into the computer and they watched together. As Emily watched, her eyes flitted across the screen, never in the same place for long. Carl asked her about it, and she told him she had a photographic memory. "It's come in handy a few times. Besides, sometimes it's the little things that give away the biggest clues. Like that license plate number." Carl did a double take. A license plate number? This was a big breakthrough.

" 'IHV822.' Let's see who you're registered to. I can't believe they made this kind of mistake." She said, surprised. "They didn't," said Carl. "It's not registered to anybody."

"It has to be, Carl. If the dealer doesn't know, the federal government does." Within seconds, she had hacked into the federal database and discovered that the car was registered to one Frederick Sinclair, a noted crime lord in the underworld circles, though he had every appearance of an upstanding citizen in the outside world. From the federal sites, she also got a complete list of all his property holdings across the globe, including a recently purchased home in a suburban neighborhood not far from Todayland. "Bingo." she said. "Sinclair, you're toast."

As soon as the rest of the Robinsons had been told what Emily had discovered, she prepared to set off to go rescue Wilbur. She was prepared, she had her own gear, some of it handmade. As Franny walked her to the door with the rest of the Robinsons, she began to have doubts, not about Emily's ability to rescue her son, but about whether it was moral to send someone so young into such a dangerous situation. Emily seemed to read Franny's mind. "I'll be fine, Mrs. Robinson. Ad so will Wilbur. But I've got to go now. He needs me." Franny nodded. "You're right." As Cornelius closed the door behind her, Aunt Petunia quite uncharacteristically said, "There goes a very special person."

Emily made her way to Sinclair's new neighborhood, and did a scan for the getaway car by hacking into the nearest local satellite. She found it in no time. As she came up on the house, she saw bars on the little basement window and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Wilbur was down there.

Wilbur, still alone, sat on the cot and looked out the tiny square of light that was his only window to the outside world. He could tell by the pattern of light that it was dusk, twilight. His favorite time of day. If only he had someone to share it with. He'd never had anyone before, and the odds of never having someone to share it with were getting better and better. Wilbur shuddered. Not a good way to think about things. He had to hope that something good was going to happen.

And right at that moment, something did. It turned out that the air duct that led out of the house also lead straight to the dumbwaiter for the robot that had delivered Wilbur's bread crusts. Emily had been slender enough to crawl through it and use it to reach the basement. "Why is it always air ducts?" she'd muttered to herself. She'd figure that one out later. Right now, Wilbur was the priority. She dropped down from the ceiling and she landed on the balls of her feet, silently.

Wilbur shouldn't have noticed her. But he had turned his head away from the window at the exact moment she touched down on the floor. He opened him mouth to yell in surprise, but quick as a cat, Emily leapt across the room and covered his mouth with her hand.

"Mmmmph!" He tried to move away, but her other hand caught his shoulder and held him still. "Shut up, you idiot!" she whispered. "How am I supposed to rescue you if you insist on telling the whole house full of criminals that I'm here?" The look of surprise on Wilbur's face and his relaxed jaw muscle told her she could let go and not be afraid of getting caught. When she released him, Wilbur breathed heavily. "You're here to rescue me? Why?"

"Crazy thing. You're family wants you back. Dumb, I know, but hey, what can you do?"

"I really hope you're being sarcastic."

"I am. Now, lets get you out of there. That cell can't be fun."

"It's not. Look, I really appreciate the rescue, but you'll never get me out of here. The door's locked. And those bars are steel." Emily looked at him, then at the bars, and then back at him. She stretched her arms, and said, "Stand back." Wilbur had had enough of being ordered around, but something in her tone of voice had told him to do as he was asked. He did. She wrapped her fingers around the steel bars that had held him in for three days, braced her legs, and pulled. At first, Wilbur was skeptical, but to his amazement, the bars actually were bending. After a few minutes' work, there was a large hole, large enough for Wilbur to comfortably walk through. "How on earth did you do that?" he asked incredulously.

"Long story." She said. "The short version is that I was in a really bad car accident about fiver years ago. Killed my parents and my little brother. Almost killed me too. The hospital wanted to try some wonder drug on my, boost my immune system and my body's healing capabilities. It worked, but it got into my DNA. Got into my muscles. It made me strong, super strong." Wilbur was stunned. "I'm really sorry about your family."

"It's alright. Happened a long time ago. Doesn't matter now." She shrugged it off, but Wilbur knew it still mattered to her. And he knew it always would. She shook her head, as if clearing the memory of the accident. "I know your father, he's going to want to take a look at that bruise. And fix your shoulder. And your mom's going to want to give you some hot chocolate and apple pie."

"She made apple pie?"

"Yeah. She wouldn't stop feeding me."

"Yeah, she does that when she's worried."

"So let's get you out of here."

"Fine by me." Wilbur smiled, and took her hand. Another voice interrupted their banter. "Well, it's not fine by me." In front of them stood not one, not two, but five henchmen, armed to the teeth and obviously angry. "Uh oh." Said Wilbur. "This is bad."


	11. Rescued

**Hey everyone! I'm home from school today, sorta sick with a cold. I think. Bad cough, stuffy nose, the whole nine yards. Ew. The really bad part is I can't kiss Wilbur.**

**Wilbur: Why the heck not?**

**Me: I don't want to get you sick.**

**Wilbur: (sheepishly smiling) Thanks. That's really sweet. **

**Me: You're welcome. You deserve it.**

**Wilbur: Thanks. (pause) Ummm……can I still kiss you on the cheek?**

**Me: I guess…why?**

**Wilbur: (after kissing her on the cheek) Mom says my kisses always make her feel better.**

**Me: Hmm……She's right.**

**Wilbur: She always is. **

**Me: True. Here's the chapter guys! Enjoy! Random fact of the chapter – A pregnant goldfish is called a "twit". When engaging in fanfiction, I think you should learn something. **

**p.s. – in case any of you read GoodTooSave's last review or you had the same thoughtline she did, I'm not an orphan, the only thing I share with my OC is name and the strange attachment to Wilbur. ( This attachment seems to be shared by many of you faithful reviewers. :D )**

In front of them stood not one, not two, but five henchmen, armed to the teeth and obviously angry. "Uh oh." said Wilbur. "This is bad."

"Oh yeah, kid. This is bad." said one of them. Wilbur gulped. "This is bad," said Emily. "But not for us. This is gonna be bad for you." She smiled and took her fighting stance. Wilbur remembered what she had said about her strength. He quickly realized that she hadn't been exaggerating. In the first ten seconds of the fight, she dropped three of the henchmen to the floor. They were unconscious and out of the fight.

"Nice job!" Wilbur said. Emily turned to look at him and in that moment, one of the two henchmen still standing lunged for Wilbur and grabbed him around the neck. "Hey, help me!" Wilbur regretted opening his mouth the second he did. The burly man's other hand grabbed his injured shoulder and twisted. He yelled in pain, and closed his eyes against the tears that threatened to fall. He did _not_ want to cry in front of this girl.

The second she saw Wilbur was in trouble, she pulled out all the stops. She delivered a swift spinning kick to the man closest to her, and clapped her palms on his temples. Unconsciousness was immediate. She turned to face Wilbur's attacker, the final adversary. He was the only person between her and getting Wilbur home safely, and he wasn't going to stay there for long.

She took her fighting stance again, and the man laughed. "Cute, sweetheart. But you're going down. We're all gonna take you down. Down, down, down, and you won't be able to stop us, now will you, pretty?"

"Hey, you stay away from her!" yelled Wilbur. There was no way he was letting this guy anywhere near her, he knew what was on this man's mind, and he didn't like it one bit. "Shut up, kid! Besides, you're in no position to tell me what I can and can't do to her."

"Neither are you," retorted Emily. "Have you looked around lately? This army you're going to beat me with? They're all on the floor. Unconscious. They won't be much help to you." She smiled. "Bring the best you've got. It's not much, I'm sure, but hey, it should be fun. Besides, you can't fight very well with only one hand." She smirked. The man looked down, and she was right. This mystery girl had taken down everyone else, and as long as he was holding the kid, he only had one hand to fight with.

Wilbur was amazed that this girl could banter like this with someone three times her size. He knew, or rather hoped, that she could take him, but still, how could she not be even a little scared? He certainly was. Then again, she was ready to fight and he had an arm around his neck making it very difficult to breathe. He decided to concentrate on staying alive, and make her job easier.

The big man was deciding on just how he could take out this girl who was quickly becoming a huge pain in the rear when he heard sirens. Close. Emily noticed the look on his face. "Yes, oh brilliant one, those are sirens. Police and ambulace, by the sound of it. Maybe SWAT too. If you stick around, you might just get to meet them all." Sarcasm dripped from her tone, and Wilbur grimly smiled. This girl had all her bases covered before she stepped into the house. She was smart.

But not quite smart enough. As soon as the big man realized the game was up, that he was likely to be arrested or even shot, he lunged at her, throwing Wilbur against the cement wall as he ran, so as to have both hands free to strangle this girl before he was arrested for kidnapping and attempted murder. Wilbur's collision with the wall went momentarily unnoticed as Emily ran a few quick mental calculations in an attempt to save her own life as she forgot about Wilbur. As he came at her, she grabbed his wrists and hurled him in a pirouette. A normal person would never have had the strength for it, but Emily was not a normal person with normal strength. Her extra powerful muscles, combined with the man's own momentum, flung him into the staircase. Something cracked, and a dark pool appeared around the point of impact.

Emily leaned over and breathed heavily. "Well, he won't be getting up any time soon, right Wilbur?" She didn't get the pithy answer she expected, so she called again. "Wilbur? Wilbur, this isn't funny……" She trailed off as she saw Wilbur's limp body, lying where it had fallen after the big man had thrown him against the wall.

"Oh no…Wilbur! Wilbur, no, this can't be happening, please buddy, wake up!" She stopped as she heard voices above the basement. "I'm down here!" she called to the police. "So is Wilbur Robinson! We need help!" The police, followed by an EMT, came rushing down the stairs. The men found Emily kneeling at Wilbur's side, his head in her lap and his hands held tightly in hers.

"There's a lot of questions here, young lady, and you seem to be full of answers," began the police officer, but the EMT, whose name was Robert Brown, held up a hand. "It's okay, Detective. I know this girl. She volunteers at the hospital, she's okay. She probably did take out all these guys, but I know her, she only did it to save the Robinson kid. She probably saved his life half a dozen times in the last ten minutes."

Emily nodded, silently thanking Dr. Brown. "The Robinsons asked me to do what I could for their son, what with my protection background and my…unusual abilities." She finished, unable to look up at these men, instead staring at Wilbur's unmoving face. The detective looked questioningly at Dr. Brown, but he only said, "It's a long story. I'll explain later."

"Dr. Brown?" interrupted Emily. "We need to get Wilbur out of here now. He hit the wall and he's been knocked unconscious. He needs to reach the hospital ASAP." She looked down at Wilbur. Dr. Brown noted that this was the most worried he'd ever seen Emily, and he'd known her since the car accident that had changed her life forever. He nodded, and had a stretcher brought down to the basement.

After that, it was a matter of minutes before Wilbur was brought upstairs, outside, and began to be loaded into the ambulance. Emily had never let go of his hand. She did for the brief moment it took to actually raise the stretcher into the ambulance cargo hold, and made to get into the ambulance herself, only to be stopped by the detective. "Just a minute there, young lady. I still have some questions for you."

"With all due respect sir, they'll have to wait. I need to go to the hospital with Wilbur." He began to persist, but she spoke again, and he listened. "There are five men in the basement who tried to kill both of us. There are two more men upstairs, one who was simply a metal man, one who was the mastermind of the entire operation. I'm sorry if I sound rude, but I think your time is better spent arresting them before they flee and before they regain consciousness. I can answer questions later, after they're all behind bars." He thought about this, and decided she was right. She handed him a card with all her contact information, just in case, and she boarded the ambulance.

She grasped Wilbur's hand once again, just as the doors slammed shut and the ambulance took off for the Todayland hospital. She gripped his hand tightly, so tightly that her knuckles were white. Dr. Brown noticed this and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "He's going to be fine Emily. Just fine."

"You don't understand, Dr. Brown. I promised his family he'd be alright. Now he's going to the hospital. What have I done?" 

"You saved his life. From what I could see down there, you did more for him down there than a whole SWAT team could have hoped for."

"At least these muscles came in handy for something."

"Emily, you saved his life. Remember that. I'm sure Wilbur wouldn't blame you for this. And I'm sure his family won't either."

"He's just got to be okay. He's got to be."

"He will be. Just let us do what we do best and give it time."

"How much time, Dr. Brown?" 

"I don't know."

"That's what I was afraid of." She sighed, and looked down at Wilbur. _Please…please be alright. Please. If you can hear me, Wilbur, please be alright. _She rested her arms against the stretcher as the EMT's around her tended to Wilbur's cuts, bruises, and his injured shoulder. She listened to their comments about each of his injuries in turn, resolving to tell Wilbur what they had said when he woke up.

When he woke up. If he woke up. No, _when_ he woke up. She had to keep telling herself that he was going to wake up. He had to. She closed her eyes against the tears that threatened to spill out, and willed the tires of the ambulance to carry them like the wind to the emergency room and the intensive care unit. _Please, if anyone up there is listening, help Wilbur. He's got to be alright. Please……_ She looked at Wilbur, and a single tear fell down her cheek. _Please…………_

**Sorry for the cliffie, but I have to go do 2 nights of homework in one night. Bye!!!!**


	12. Awake at Last

**Hey all. This chapter will probably short. I'm typing at the end of a study hall. More will follow, I swear. Yes this is shapter twelve, technically, but since there was a teaser and random conversations, it's technically only chapter nine, but I might skip a chapter or condense in my original story plotline and get to the good stuff. **

**Wilbur: Yeah, I highly recommend we got with that plan. **

**Me: Oh, hush up you, you just want to get kissed.**

**Wilbur: And what's wrong with that?**

**Me: A lot. Anyway, nothing will be lost if I do that. Just condensed. Here goes the random fact of the chapter: You share your birthday with at least 9 million other people on the planet. HAPPY BIRTHDAY EVERYBODY!**

Wilbur lay on a bed in the Intensive Care Unit, surrounded by machines that beeped and blinked constantly. Had he been awake, he would have gotten a headache from the noise and lights. But he wasn't awake. He'd been out for three days, and the Robinson clan had been in and out every day. Emily, though, had never left his side. She had all her meals brought in by the hospital staff, who by this time knew her well.

She did the homework she'd been assigned by Wilbur's bed, though it wasn't much as the school year was almost done. She'd even slept there, resting her head on the edge of Wilbur's bed, woken up each morning by friendly Nurse Janet and her breakfast trays. As a volunteer at the hospital, she was allowed to stay with him, even though she wasn't family.

Franny came into Wilbur's room. She saw Emily with her head in one hand, obviously asleep, waiting by Wilbur's bedside. She smiled her small smile, much like the one she had for Wilbur when he'd over-exhausted himself. Franny gently put her hand on Emily's shoulder and she jumped. "Emily, sweetie, you should go home and get some rest."

"No, I'm alright, Mrs. Robinson. Wilbur needs me."

"Wilbur may need you, but I'm sure if he saw how little sleep you're getting he would tell you himself to go home and sleep."

"Thanks, Mrs. Robinson, but no thanks. I need to be here. He……If I hadn't lost focus in the fight…"

"Stop it right now. This is not your fault. No one blames you. If it hadn't been for you, we'd still be waiting for any news, and he'd still be in that awful basement."

"But I-"

"Stop. I don't blame you. Neither does anyone else. And I'm sure Wilbur doesn't either." Emily sighed. "I just…I don't want him to be alone when he wakes up. When I was in the hospital, I woke up alone. It was terrible. I felt so small and alone……I can't…I'll do anything to keep Wilbur from felling that." Franny smiled again, happy, relieved, and proud that Emily cared that deeply about her son.

"Let me go get the family, sweetie, so they can all thank you." Franny got up quietly and left the room, leaving Emily alone with Wilbur. She tentatively reached out a finger and stroked his cheek. "I wish you'd wake up. I won't be able to forgive myself unless you do." She closed her eyes and rested her hand against his chest, near the thick cast on his shoulder.

Suddenly, she felt a small weight on her hand. She opened her eyes and saw Wilbur's deep brown ones staring back at her. His hand was on hers. He gave it a gentle squeeze and smiled. She smiled back as tears fell from her eyes and ran down her cheeks. "Hi," he said softly. "Hey, what's wrong?" He was unnerved to see her cry. "Nothing's wrong," she said. "everything's great. You're awake again, and your heartbeat's okay, and everything's going to be fine." She was rambling, she knew, but she was ecstatic to see him awake.

Emily reached over with her free hand and pushed the call button on the side of Wilbur's bed.

Franny looked down and saw that the panel in her hand was blinking. That could only mean……Emily wouldn't push that button unless……"Everyone! Wilbur's awake!"

Emily and Wilbur smiled, and he opened his mouth to ask her something when the doors to the room burst open and all the Robinsons entered, talking loudly and many of them crying. Franny rushed to her son's side and pulled him into a tight hug. "I'm fine Mom," he said. "No need to choke me," she quickly let go. "Sorry, sweetie, it's just so good to see you." Wilbur was overwhelmed by everything. As he turned to face his family, he realized that there was one person there whose name he did not know.

He turned to the girl who had saved his life and asked her, "What's your name?" She smiled, wiped the tears from her glistening cheeks and answered, "I'm Emily."

"Nice to meet you. Thanks for saving my life." He thought that this was the right thing to say, especially since she meant it, but to his surprise, she burst into fresh tears. He sat up a little bit, and because he was still holding her hand, he found it easy to pull her close in a warm hug. "It's okay," he said softly. "I don't know what's wrong, but it's gonna be okay." To his surprise, she answered him with an apology. "What are you sorry for?" he asked. "For letting you get hurt," she said so softly that he almost missed it. "Are you crazy? If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here right now. I don't blame you. You saved my life. You're…you're amazing." he finished. She looked at him, and he smiled. She leaned back into his arms and he held her close for another minute.

As they broke apart, Gaston said, "Good to see you alive and well, kiddo." Wilbur smiled. "Thanks." Then Wilbur saw his father with tears in his eyes. He realized his family was happy to see him basically unharmed, but this was kind of nuts. Then he remembered everyone saying how good it was to see him 'awake.'

He turned again to Emily and said, "Just how long was I out?"


	13. Passionate Kisses   From You

**Heyyyyyy everybody! Wow, I think I start every chapter upload that way. Minus the extra y's. I hope everyone's doing well, I know I'm really hyper. I ate about a gallon of nutella in French class this morning (don't ask) and just found out that my high school's musical is EVITA! (holy crap, we've got our work cut out for us)**

**Anyway, Wilbur doesn't care what my musical is (which is kind of silly cuz I'm gonna drag him to see it cuz I will be in it) and he just wants me to get on with the chapter. **

**Wilbur: But you still don't listen to me.**

**Me: They have a right to know what's going on in my life.**

**Wilbur: Sure, but I really want to get the next chapter up. And it's not just so I can get kissed!**

**Me: There's another reason?**

**Wilbur: Yeah. I don't want Doris to come around here.**

**Me: Mi Mi said she's gonna send Doris after **_**me**_**, not you!**

**Wilbur: Yeah, but you don't know that hat! She's definitely got a mind of her own. And she definitely doesn't like me. Who knows what she'd do when she got here?**

**Me: Hmmm……….good point. Okay, random fact, then chapter!**

**Orangutans warn people to stay out of their territory by belching. **

"Just how long was I out?" asked Wilbur. Everyone looked at each other nervously, not wanting to tell him. He spoke up again. "Come on, guys. Tell me the truth, I want to know! How long?" It was Emily who told him. "Three days. Today's the fourth day. You were dangerously close to slipping into a coma." Everyone was silent, including the usually-talkative Wilbur. Three days? A coma? It was a lot to take in. He fell back against his bed, and although it was a little propped up, the impact was still enough to shake him from his thoughts.

"Three days? Jeez, no wonder you guys were happy to see me," he joked, though he didn't really see anything funny about the situation. His family smiled weakly, and fumbled for words, clearly still at a loss for things to say.

Wilbur asked, "Mom, what else is wrong with me?"

"Nothing's wrong with you, sweetie."

"Mom, you know what I mean. Where else am I hurt? What did the doctors do while I was out? How long 'til it's fixed? And how long 'til I can go home?"

The Robinsons all began to mumble and Wilbur quickly realized that asking them wasn't going to get him anywhere. "You know what guys? I'm feeling pretty tired. I'm gonna close my eyes for a while. I promise I won't go into a coma, Mom." he said after seeing the look on his mother's face. "Alright sweetie. We'll leave you alone for a while. Come on, Emily." Wilbur grabbed her hand a little tighter. "No! I want her to stay here for a while. I mean, i-if she wants to."

"Of course I'll stay Wilbur. If that's what you want."

"It is, but I don't want to make you do anything you don't want to do."

"It's not about what I want right now, it's what you want that matters." She saw the look on his face and added, "But it is what I want. I do want to stay with you. I've been here for three days, haven't I?" he smiled, said goodbye to his family, and looked at her seriously. "Have you really been here for the whole three days?"

"Yeah. I've been here the whole three days." Wilbur was truly touched. "Thanks," he whispered. "Thanks for coming to rescue me, for saving my life, for getting me to the hospital, for staying with me…"

"You're welcome. For all of it." her genuine smile told him she truly meant what she said, and he knew without a doubt that if anyone was going to tell him exactly what was wrong with him, she would tell him the truth. "Emily, what exactly happened to me?"

She took a deep breath, and began slowly. "Well, it's a long story. I'm sure you're aware that there's a nasty bruise on your cheek. The doctors thought your cheekbone might have been broken, but you're alright. There's a cut there too. Whoever hit you must have been wearing a ring." Wilbur nodded. He remembered the large ring James had been wearing when he'd hit him. "What else?"

"Your shoulder. Best the doctors can tell is that you hit it against something and jostled the joint some, not too bad, but enough. Then it got hit again, or twisted." She bit her lip. "Twisted," he said. "Hard. It hurt a lot." Wilbur regretted telling her this as soon as he said it. Her face had gone pale when he told her what the men had done to him. Emily cleared her throat and began to speak again. "Your shoulder must have been hurt again, because the joint was broken. Pretty badly. The doctors are going to want to go in and do some surgery as soon as possible now that you're awake. Your back's got some pretty wicked bruises too, where you hit that wall." She shuddered at the memory of seeing Wilbur limp on the floor and her powerless to help him. He put his hand up to her cheek and gently wiped away the single tear trailing down her beautiful face. "It's okay, Em. I'm alright now, aren't I? Well, at least as alright as I can hope for while lying in ICU."

She smiled. Wilbur smiled back, and tried to sit up, but his moving his shoulder was extremely difficult, due to the cast. Emily compulsively leaned forward and helped him to sit up. As he got comfortable, he breathed out and relaxed. He quickly tensed up again as he realized just how close they were. Emily was so close that Wilbur could feel her warm breath on his cheek. She realized it too, and looked down as her cheeks turned pink.

Without thinking, Wilbur leaned forward, and closed the few inches between them by putting his lips to hers in a kiss. He kept his lips there as long as he dared, then moved away. Wilbur looked down at his sheets, too scared and embarrassed to look Emily in the eye. With a small smile, she took his chin in her fingers and tilted his face up to meet hers. She looked into his chocolatey brown eyes and saw the truth there. He cared about her, and was scared, both that maybe he had done the wrong thing by kissing her, and that she might not feel the same way about him.

She decided that the best way to quell his fear was to simply kiss him back. So she did. Wilbur was extremely surprised to find her lips against his for the second time. But not unpleasantly surprised. He kissed her back, his mouth hesitant at first, but more confident as the kiss grew in length. They broke apart for a moment, and Wilbur shyly smiled, blushing a deep pink. He looked at Emily and realized she was blushing too. They both laughed, and his heart skipped a beat or two when she leaned forward again for another kiss.

This one was longer, and a little deeper, but it was unfortunately cut short by a cough at the door.

"Ahem."

Wilbur, extremely annoyed, turned to look at the source of the cough and did a double take when he realized who had interrupted them. Emily turned around as well, and her own cheeks tinged pink. Staring at them, her arms folded across her chest and rapidly tapping one high-heeled shoe on the tiled floor with a very cross look on her face, was Franny.

Wilbur gulped. Emily put her fingers guiltily up to her lips. Arms still crossed and foot still tapping, Franny said tersely, "Explain yourselves."

As one, Emily and Wilbur both went scarlet.

**Wilbur: Okay, that was totally awesome, just like you said it would be. Thanks very much.**

**Me: You're welcome. **

**Wilbur: One thing, though.**

**Me: Sure. Ask away.**

**Wilbur: Why did you have to make the one who catches us my **_**mother**_**? It's extremely traumatizing.**

**Me: You've answered your own question, dollface.**

**Wilbur: You seriously did that just to traumatize me?!? Ouch. Not really feelin' the love tonight.**

**Me: Sorry, but what do you expect? It's almost midnight. I'm tired. **

**Wilbur: Testament to your grammar skills though as well as your vocabulary. I can't write that well at ten o'clock in the morning.**

**Me: (smiling) That's because you're never awake at ten in the morning.**

**Wilbur: Touché. That's a good point. Hey, you look really tired, you should go to bed. **

**Me: Maybe I will. But don't you want me to upload another chapter?**

**Wilbur: Nah, get some sleep, beautiful.**

**Me: Don't you want to get kissed again?!?**

**Wilbur: Sure I do, but by you, not the OC. I definitely care more about you than her.**

**Me: Awwww……that's really sweet. And I'm not just saying that 'cuz I'm really tired.**

**Wilbur: (gives her a good night kiss) Go to sleep. I'll be there in a minute. Trust me to finish this up?**

**Me: Sure. see ya soon. (kisses him back)**

**Wilbur: Okaaaaay, thanks to those who reviewed, Em really appreciates it. Thanks to those who favorited and/or alerted, she appreciates that too.**

**Thanks to Mi Mi for the fabulous PM's, and to Goob for participating in them. Technically, she should thank me too, as I'm always there, but I'll forgive her. She is pretty tired. And she's a really good kisser. (don't tell her I told you that. she'll get mad or embarrassed, and then I'll get in trouble and I'll feel horrible…)**

**Thanks for keeping up with my story, guys. I promise, Emily's told me that loose ends are going to be wrapped up, including whether the bad guys got arrested or not (I really hope they did) and whether the family is okay with us being "together" (I really hope they are) and she's promised that James will come back………(I really hope she forgets that one). **

**Thanks for putting up with me and for putting up with her. She's not that bad, but I know I'm no picnic. Whatever. I know you guys send lots of reviews her way, but if you wanted to, it would not be unwelcome for you to send reviews with messages to me. Just sayin'. I'd do my best to get back to you. **

**One more thing from Emily before I sign off: Please excuse any typos, as she is extremely exhausted. Whew. Leave it to her to use big words when she's that zonked. But ya gotta love her! At least, I do.**

**Thanks for being patient guys! And, as it turns out, I am good kisser after all!!! YAY!!! (see the author note in chapter six if you're confused)**

**Bye! **

**-Wilbur Robinson**


	14. Back to the ICU

**Hey, it's me. Duh, you knew that. I want to thank Wilbur for finishing the author note on my last chapter.**

**Wilbur: You're welcome.**

**I also want to that each of you that continue to read and review. I haven't done a disclaimer in a while, but I know you know that I don't own the Robinsons. **

**Wilbur: You own my heart, at least.**

**Me: Thanks, darlin'. You're still my sweetie.**

**Wilbur: (blushing) Just get to the random fact already and post the chapter. You've got a Homecoming dance tonight. **

**Me: That's true. Are you excited?**

**Wilbur: Yeah. I can't wait to hear the oldies music!**

**Me: Oldies?!?!?!?**

**Wilbur: Well, they're oldies to me!**

**Me: Fine. Whatever. Here's the fact and the chapter.**

**In 1960, the ratio of the salary of a Fortune 500 company CEO to the president's salary was about 2:1. Today, it's about 30:1. **

**Wilbur: Call me crazy, but isn't that a little odd? And slightly…wrong?**

**Me: I think you're right. And you're crazy.**

**Wilbur: Hey!**

**Me: You said I could…**

**Wilbur: Alright. You win. (gives her a hug and a kiss on the cheek) Hey, scroll down and read! Nothing to see here, no need to stare at us! Scroll down!!!**

* * *

_Two weeks later. . . . . ._

Wilbur, Emily, and the rest of the Robinsons were sitting down to dinner, waiting for Carl to bring out the spaghetti and meatballs. Wilbur had one arm around Emily's waist and the other was holding her hand, just to the left of his knife. Franny looked at her son and smiled. She'd never seen him so happy.

She remembered when she'd walked in on the two of them kissing in the hospital. They had both been thoroughly embarrassed, but after she scared them she'd laughed and hugged them both, assuring them that she wasn't angry. Later, she'd talked to Wilbur and she'd told him that she had almost expected it. "An experience like that fight creates bonds between people," she'd said.

There sure was a bond between them, she thought. They looked so happy together, they were always laughing and teasing each other, always smiling. She was happy for them, as was the entire family. Emily had been over for dinner every night for the past two weeks, and she'd spent the night. Normally, Franny would not have allowed that, but Wilbur had been diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PSTD, and he'd not been able to fall asleep without Emily by his side. Franny was not willing to risk his health for the sake of not having a girl sleep in Wilbur's room.

Cornelius squeezed Franny's hand, and they laughed too as they listened to Wilbur recount the story of his favorite visitor when he was in ICU. His uncles had missed Mrs. Baker, his algebra teacher, who had come to visit Wilbur in the hospital and had brought sunflowers to brighten up his day. She'd apologized for what had happened, and had told Wilbur that his grade in the class was actually a full letter grade higher than he'd thought. It turned out that she had misplaced a few of his tests, but when she found them and averaged in the grades, his final grade met the minimum required from the school to have the privilege of skipping the final.

Wilbur had been ecstatic. An "A" in algebra and no final? It was more than he could have dared to hope for. It seemed that "Battle-Axe Baker" wasn't so bad after all. They all laughed, and continued to laugh and chat pleasantly throughout dinner. There was no food fight, there hadn't been since Wilbur had gotten home from the hospital. Out of respect for Wilbur's feelings, they hadn't thrown any food, as he was still too weak to participate.

After a dessert of Wilbur's favorite chocolate cake, everyone had decided to go their own way before going to bed. Of course, everyone knew that Wilbur's way and Emily's way would in fact be the same way. Everyone was more relaxed now that they knew the men who had kidnapped Wilbur were in jail, and that there were plenty of police out on the search for James, who had so far eluded capture, but none of the Robinsons were unduly worried.

Emily and Wilbur went upstairs and decided to go to bed, as it was starting to get late, and Wilbur really was pretty tired. Emily snuggled into her sleeping bag and looked up at Wilbur, smiling. "Good night," she said.

"Good night, beautiful," Wilbur said back. He smiled and snuggled under his covers himself, and quickly fell asleep, knowing Emily was right beside him.

James was angry. Wilbur had been rescued, if the underworld reports were to be believed. The kidnappers had been arrested, and there was a police force looking for his head. But as he approached the Robinson mansion and saw an open window on the first floor, his anger lessened. He felt his pocket for his knife, found it there, and grinned. Wilbur Robinson would die after all.

His boss may have held a grudge against the kid's mother, but James hated Cornelius with a fiery passion. That stupid Memory Scanner had stolen the Science Fair award and the Inventco scholarship. Those prizes should have been his.

None of that mattered now. All that mattered was that Wilbur was going to die tonight. James climbed through the open window and went up the stairs to the room that was unmistakably Wilbur's, as it bore the same symbol as his t-shirt.

James went through the open door, inadvertently tripping the silent alarm that was connected to a vibrating mechanism in Emily's sleeping bag.

Wilbur, unaware of the presence in his room, rolled over onto his back. Somehow alerted by his subconscious, he awoke to see James leaning over his bed. Wilbur opened his mouth to yell, only to have James clamp his hand down hard over his mouth, stopping him. Wilbur was pinned to his sheets with terror, and his eyes widened as James pulled out the knife he had threatened Wilbur with once before.

"I'm gonna kill you, Wilbur," he whispered silkily. Wilbur tried desperately to cry out but James' hand pressed down hard over his mouth, making it impossible for any sound to be heard. Wilbur knew he was going to die, but he couldn't accept it. He couldn't move for fear, and James continued to hold him down. James raised the knife in the air.

Emily felt the vibration in her sleeping bag, and woke up. She kept her eyes closed, and wished she hadn't been woken up by……wait, that was the alarm. Someone had come into Wilbur's room. It wasn't a Robinson, they all knew about the alarm and how to disengage it on the keypad outside Wilbur's door. She quickly opened her eyes and saw James hovering over Wilbur, hand covering his mouth and knife raised, Wilbur's eyes wide with terror. By the time she'd processed all of this, James had already started to bring the knife down for the kill.

There was only one option. Without hesitation, Emily threw herself forward and took the knife.

Wilbur heard the sound the knife made as it went into Emily, and knew he would take that sound to his grave. In his surprise at the unexpected obstacle to Wilbur's death, he removed his hand from Wilbur's mouth, and the second he did, Wilbur started yelling for help.

Uncle Art burst in and had a very surprised James unarmed and pinned to the ground in seconds. As soon as James was pulled off of him, Wilbur leapt from the bed to Emily's side. She'd fallen to the floor when she was stabbed, and there she lay. Her breathing was shallow, and her hands gripped her side, literally trying to hold in her own blood.

Wilbur was stunned. "No, please…Emily, you have to be alright. Why? Why did you do that?" He wasn't making much sense, but he was near tears. Emily was lying on the floor after taking a knife that was meant for him. Once again, she had saved his life.

She coughed, and Wilbur grabbed her hand. "Hold on, Em."

"Wilbur? Is that you?" Her normally strong voice was soft and weak. Wilbur looked at her and tears began to crawl down his cheeks. "Wilbur, honey, what happened?" asked Franny. She hadn't seen Emily yet. "Mom, call an ambulance now. Emily needs help right now, she needs to get to the hospital." Franny heard the fear and worry in her son's voice and ran out to make the call, but not before she saw Emily lying on the floor, which was rapidly turning red.

Wilbur watched as the EMT's arrived in the next five minutes, as they had an ambulance stationed very near the house in case something had happened to Wilbur. Wilbur followed Emily's stretcher down the stairs and into the ambulance. He thought grimly, _this is how she must have felt two weeks ago_. He shuddered. She had to be alright. She just had to be. He'd never forgive himself if she didn't live through this. That knife was meant for him, he should have taken it, not her. He realized that he would rather be on that stretcher himself than have to see her on it.

Wilbur watched, stunned, as the EMT's rushed about the back of the ambulance, doing all they could to stabilize Emily's condition. He suddenly remembered what she had said about her immune system and her body's self-healing capabilities. Her body was better than most at healing itself. _It better be_, he thought. _She's got to be alright. _

He numbly followed close behind her with his father to a room in the ICU. He never thought that he'd be back here so soon. As she was settled into the standard ICU bed, he seated himself in the chair next to her. His father explained to the doctors present that he and his son would be spending the night there.

Wilbur held her hand and pressed it tightly to his heart, then his cheek. He felt her faintly squeeze back, and a fresh wave of tears cascaded down his cheeks. He felt his father's warm, reassuring hand on his shoulder, and heard him say, "She knows you're here, Wilbur. That's got to mean something. She knows the whole family is pulling for her. They're at home by the way," he said in response to his son's unanswered question. Wilbur nodded numbly.

The only thing on his mind was Emily, and what she had just done for him. And that she might not make it through the ordeal. Wilbur shook his head. That was _not_ an option. She was going to make it. She had to. She just had to.

Wilbur looked out past the glass door to the room and saw the armed guard facing away from the room and its occupants. He looked briefly behind him and saw his father already asleep in the chair he'd just sat in, worry lines creasing his forehead.

Wilbur looked back at Emily, lying in her bed, seeming so small and fragile. He squeezed her hand again. Still holding it close to his heart, he lay his torso down on the bed next to her, closed his eyes, and cried himself to sleep.

**Me: Thanks for putting up with me guys!**

Me and Wilbur: Thanks for reading and reviewing!


	15. WIlbur Pops a Question

**Hey everyone! I hope everybody is still enjoying the story so far…wouldn't know. I've only been getting reviews from Robin. (Thank you! Wilbur appreciates them. Robin, you've gone on his list of his top ten favorite people. I know, I've seen it.) **

**People, you know you want to review, just do it! Please!**

**I'll hurry and get to the chapter, I know there was a HUGE cliffie at the end of the last one. **

**Random fact: ****The United States spends more money on its military than the next 13 countries on the list combined!**

**Wow. Kinda…superfluous. **

**Wilbur: Excessive too.**

**Me: That's what 'superfluous' means, silly!**

**Wilbur: Uh…I…knew that. I was…um…just testing you.**

**Me: Yeah, sure sparky. **

**Wilbur: Just get to the chapter already! I need to know what happens to Emily!**

**Me: Okay, okay. **

**Chapter 14**

Cornelius Robinson woke to birds singing outside the window of the ICU. He looked over to the bed, hoping against hope that the events of last night had been a horrible nightmare. No suck luck. Emily was still lying on the bed in the ICU, and she was clearly not well. Wilbur hadn't moved since last night. It wrenched his heart to see his son hurting this much.

Cornelius was hurting too. He and his wife had come to love Emily as well, and they counted her as a member of the family, especially after they had discovered that she was an orphan. The whole family loved her, and they all now burst into the room, as it was 9 AM and visiting hours had begun.

Wilbur was abruptly awoken by the deafening din created by his family, and stiffly yawned and stretched his arms. He looked at Emily and noticed that she had a shimmer of pink in her cheeks. She was unconscious, her chest rose and fell with her slow breathing, keeping almost perfect time with the beeping and blinking of the machines hooked to her arm. Wilbur's eyes filled again with tears as he looked at her, but he knew that he'd rather be here beside her than anywhere else in the world.

Later, when the doctors came in, they spoke to Franny and Cornelius about her condition, as she had not parents. The doctors had wanted Wilbur to leave at first, but Nurse Janet, who happened to be in the room, had insisted he stay. "It's what Emily would want," she had said, bringing fresh tears from Wilbur.

Nurse Janet had put her hand reassuringly on Wilbur's shoulders. Wilbur squeezed Emily's hand and listened as the doctors threw facts and figures at his parents, none of which he and his mother understood, although his father understood plenty. They watched as Cornelius grew more and more grave with every word.

Franny placed a hand on her son's shoulder. "With all due respect, I didn't understand anything you just said. Could you…maybe…repeat it in layman's terms? For me? And for my son?"

"Of course, Mrs. Robinson. I'm truly sorry for the confusion. I was simply saying that her prognosis does not look good. She's suffered a major puncture wound and lost quite a lot of blood. It's highly doubtful that she'll live through this." Franny made a small sound, but Wilbur shook his head. "She'll live." His voice was a little raspy, he hadn't spoken for hours. "She'll live. She's strong, she'll live." Wilbur spoke as if he was trying to convince himself, not the doctors.

"Son," the doctor started, "You have to begin to face the possibility that she-"

"No! She'll live! She has to! She's strong on the inside. She'll make it. She promised me…" Nurse Janet squeezed Wilbur shoulders. After she let go, she ushered the doctors out of the room, and then asked Franny and Cornelius to leave. She wanted to talk to Wilbur alone.

As she shut the door behind the Robinsons, Wilbur allowed himself a moment to let the tears flow unchecked. Nurse Janet came to sit next to him. "Wilbur?" she said, tentatively. He looked up at her. "Yeah?"

"What makes you so sure that Emily is going to survive?" It was a powerful question. "Something she once told me. She was in a car accident, a bad one. The medication the used to help her stay alive boosted her body's self-healing capabilities. She...she's sorta like a superwoman. She's really strong too."

"That's what you meant." Wilbur nodded. "I remember her now," said Nurse Janet. "I was here when she was brought in, five years ago. She is strong. She bent the metal frame on one of these beds because the nurse's aide pricked her finger with a needle. And I remember the day her heart stopped."

"It stopped?"

"Sure did. But she somehow managed to get it beating again, without the help of a crash cart."

"Wow. She wasn't kidding." Wilbur squeezed her hand again. "Thanks, Nurse Janet. I owe you one." She just smiled, and left Wilbur alone with Emily.

_The next morning………_

Wilbur had once again fallen asleep in the chair next to Emily's bed. But this morning, instead of waking up to his extremely loud family, he woke up to a gentle hand squeeze. He looked over at Emily, and his jaw dropped when he saw her clear, sapphire blue eyes looking back at him and a small smile on her face.

"Hi," he said, so softly she could barely hear him. But she knew he said it. She looked at him seriously, then said, "Are you alright?" Wilbur wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. He did both. Emily asked him again. "Wilbur, are you alright? You're not hurt are you?" He just laughed and cried more. "Wilbur, answer me. Why are you laughing?"

"Because, you're lying in the ICU with a knife wound and an IV in your arm, and you ask me, the one who's sitting here, perfectly healthy, if I'm okay."

"Well, it's important."

"Not as important as thanking you for what you did. And yes, I'm okay," he said before she overexerted herself yelling at him for not answering her question. "Good." She smiled. Wilbur took her hand, kissed it, and held it to his cheek. "Em, I…I wouldn't be here if you…if you hadn't…well………"

"It's okay, Wilbur. I'm just happy you're safe." He smiled again, unable to stop the tears from flowing down his cheeks. "Why are you crying?"

"Happy tears," he said. "That's what Mom used to call them when I was little. I'm just so happy you're okay."

"I'm alive, certainly, but far from okay. Don't worry, I'll get there soon. As long as you're here."

"Are you kidding? I'm never leaving your side again!" They both laughed. "Oh, jeez, my Mom! I should tell her you're awake. She and Dad have been worried sick about you. So has the whole family."

"The…the whole family? The whole family's been worried about me?"

"Yeah, they've al been in and out the whole day yesterday. What did you expect, Em? They all love you. You're sort of…well…sort of unofficially part of the family." Now it was Emily's turn to shed a few tears.

"Why're you crying, Em? What's wrong?"

"Happy tears, Wilbur." He smiled, and leaned forward. He placed the smallest of kisses on her lips, but it was enough for both of them.

Franny and Cornelius, followed by the rest of Wilbur's family, burst into the room, and proceeded to shower Emily with their love and appreciation for everything she had done for their son.

Last but certainly not least, Carl walked forward with a handmade card and a daisy. He knelt and handed it to her shyly. They had always gotten on well, but he didn't quite know how to act around her after what she had done for Wilbur. She took the card and the flower, and planted a kiss on Carl's cheek. "Thanks, Carl. This means a lot."

"Anything for you, Em. I love ya, we all do."

"We do love you Emily," said Franny. Emily smiled and hugged Franny as best as she could manage.

Suddenly, Wilbur realized something. He had to say it, to ask her. He knew it was right. He knew it beyond a shadow of a doubt, but he still bit his lip in nervousness anyway.

"Emily?"

"Yes?"

"Do you want to be a Robinson?"

"What are you talking about Wilbur? You mean adopt me?"

"No, no. Um……what I mean is…will you marry me?"


	16. Yes

**Hey everyone! Thanks muchly to Fortuna, who was the only one other than Robi to review my last two or three chapters. Kinda depressing……kinda makes me want to stop writing this story…**

**Wilbur: NO!!!!! You can't stop! You just had me pop the question! Your OC hasn't answered me yet, in case you forgot, and you need to keep writing and let me know what she says and whether we get married and have a big house and kids and a great family and live happily ever after!!!**

**Me: Wow. Did you really say that all in one breath?**

**Wilbur: (breathing heavily) Maybe.**

**Me: I'm impressed. **

**Wilbur: Thanks. **

**Me: Okay, okay, just for you I'll update again. **

**Wilbur: Thanks, Em. You're the best. **

**Me: I know.**

**Wilbur: Modest much?**

**Me: I don't say I'm the best at everything, just at winning you over.**

**Wilbur: Well, no argument there. **

**Me: Okay, here's the random fact, then the chapter.**

**Human jaw muscles can generate a force of 200 pounds (90.8 kilograms) on the molars. **

**Chapter 15!!!**

**-just in case y'all didn't notice, there are chapter titles. They usually give away some of the plot. Just in case you wanted to know. The little blue box on the top right corner of the screen.-**

**-there's a lot of dialogue in this chappie. Bear with me.-**

"No, no. Um……what I mean is…will you marry me?"

As soon as these words left Wilbur's mouth, everything went quiet. In the silence that followed, Wilbur bit his lip. Maybe he shouldn't have asked her. They were only seventeen. But he loved her. They hadn't known each other for very long. But he loved her. He had just been through a traumatic kidnapping that may have clouded his judgment. But he loved her. He loved her more than anything. He knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, and that was all that mattered.

All this raced through his mind in the few seconds of silence after his question. Emily opened her mouth and said one word.

"Yes."

"Are you sure? I- I mean, do you want to think about it?"

"No. I don't need to think."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"You really want to marry me?"

"Yes. Yes!" Wilbur let out a sound that was between a laugh and a cry and he jumped forward and wrapped his arms around her and held her close. His chest shook slightly with small sobs of relief. Emily held him close in her arms and softly whispered, "Thank you." Wilbur looked at her face and saw tears in her eyes. "Happy tears?" he asked with a smile. "Happy tears." she said, smiling back.

"I'm so glad you said yes."

"Did you really expect anything else?"

"You had me pretty worried for a minute there," he grinned. Then he kissed her. Just like the last time they had kissed in the ICU, they were interrupted. This time, instead of an angry shoe-tapping Franny, they were interrupted by the applause of the entire family. Wilbur turned around and blushed, as did Emily. Wilbur was worried, not about whether asking her to marry him was the right decision, but whether his family would approve.

His worries were lifted when his mother came forward to hug Emily. "we're so happy for you sweetie. We couldn't ask for a better daughter-in-law."

"Well, you could," said Aunt Petunia. "But even if you did, you wouldn't ever be able to find one." Both Uncle Fritz and Gaston's jaw dropped as he whispered to Aunt Billie and Joe, "Is she sick? Not that I mind of course." They all laughed.

"Hey Art, it's a good thing you thought of asking Emily for help, huh?" said Bud. "Wait," said Wilbur. "Uncle Art, you were the one who suggested she come and find me?" Uncle Art nodded almost sheepishly. "Thanks, man." Said Wilbur, smiling sheepishly too. Emily squeezed Wilbur's hand, then brought it up to her mouth and kissed it.

"Son?"

"Yeah Dad?"

"I'm happy for you both, truly I am."

"I feel a 'but' coming…"

"But, just promise me that you tow will wait a year or two before you go through with the ceremony. Not that I don't believe that you don't care deeply about each other," he said hurriedly at the look on his son's face. "It's just that seventeen is a little young to be tying the knot." Wilbur relaxed. "Sure Dad. That is, if it's okay with you, Em."

"Of course it's alright with me. I know you'll stick around," she teased. "That is, if you buy me a ring." Wilbur put his hand over his heart, pretending to be hurt. "Ouch! And here I thought that you cared about _me_, not material possessions."

"I do care about you, but material possessions are pretty great too." She kiddingly punched him on his good shoulder, and would have hit him again if not for Lucille's interjection. "Well, as far as material possessions go, I believe I have something that might interest you two." They stopped their mock fight, both curious.

"My mother, who just passed away, left me her engagement ring in her will. I was originally going to give it to Cornelius, but seeing as he's already married…well, I think you should have it Wilbur." She pulled a small black velvet box from her handbag, explaining that it was there because she had visited her mother's house yesterday to pick up her possessions. Wilbur carefully took the box from his grandmother, turned to Emily, and opened the box with shaking hands.

Inside was a glittering white gold and diamond ring. Emily gasped. "Mrs. Robinson, thank you so much, but I can't take this. This is a ring for royalty, not someone like me." Wilbur bit his lip, and wished that Emily could see what he saw when he looked at her. She was incredible, and quite worthy of this ring.

But it wasn't Wilbur who spoke next. It was Laszlo. "Em, do you even know who you are? How amazing you are? You saved Wilbur's life. Twice! You're a fixture in our family now. You deserve that ring."

"And I don't know anyone who could wear it and pull it off with more style and grace than you," said Tallulah. "I think that's the biggest compliment I've ever heard my sister give anyone," said Laszlo. "Come on, Em," said Wilbur. You're incredible. Please?" She smiled a little. "Ya know, when you smile like that, I think you make this diamond look a little dull." Emily smiled. Wilbur could always make her laugh.

Lucille recognized the grin on her face and said, "I'm glad. There's no one I'd rather see wear that ring, sweetheart." Wilbur gently took it from its place in the box. He took her outstretched hand in his, and, trembling, he slid the ring onto her finger. Everyone smiled, and a few of the Robinsons clapped.

Carl touched her shoulder. Emily looked up at him, glowing with happiness. "It suits you," he said simply. She reached an arm around his metallic waist and hugged him. "Thanks Carl. Thank you all so much. It- it's really nice to have a family again."

"Ring-a-ding-ding," said Frankie from Franny's shoulder. He had insisted on coming to see Emily in the hospital. Her voice was one of the best he'd heard in a long time, and he hoped that he'd be able to sing with her again. "Hi Frankie! It's really great to see you!"

"Even better to hear those golden tones of your pipes, young lady. You'll be singin' and ringin' again soon?"

"Of course, Frankie. Especially if I get to sing with you and the band again."

"Any time, any place, doll. You just say the word and we'll swing."

Wilbur was ecstatic. Not only had Emily actually said she would marry him, but his family, his whole family, had been okay with it. They all had made some sort of gesture to show they cared about her too. Sure, he had a couple years before they'd actually be married, but hey, he could wait. He looked down at the diamond ring on her finger and knew that everything was going to be okay.

James was in solitary confinement on remand without bail, the others were locked up and had confessed, and he was going to get to marry the girl he loved. Life, right now, was pretty darn good.

**No cliffies this time. I was really mean with the last two chapters, so I decided to give you a break. Just a little FYI, every Robinson (I mean **_**every Robinson**_**) is in this chapter. See if you can find them all. **

**Lots of love,**

**Emily and Wilbur**

**Hey- to those of you who kept scrolling, it's Wilbur here. I need your help! I want to take Emily out somewhere special, but I don't know what to do!!!! You girls who read this fanfic, please give me ideas! You all know how hopeless I am! Please!!!**

**Thanks, **

**Wilbur Robinson**


	17. Setting a Date

**Hey guys! This chapter will be short, and there is actually a chapter here, Wilbur just gets in the way again. But I still love him. **

**This story is almost done (tear tear) but don't worry, I will write more loverly stories about Wilbur!**

**Wilbur: You'd better!**

**Me: Don't worry your cute little head off. I will. **

**Wilbur: Good. Hey…um…do you mind if I change the subject?**

**Me: Yes.**

**Wilbur: Do y- What?**

**Me: Just kidding. Go right ahead.**

**Wilbur: (clears his throat nervously) Ummm……I…well…**

**Me: Come on, Wilbur. Spit it out.**

**Wilbur: Do you want to go out tonight?**

**Me: Heck yes!!! Ooooh, I know this great little restaurant…**

**Wilbur: Actually, I found this place that has great Italian food and candles on the table and fancy silverware and crystal glasses…the whole nine yards. **

**Me: Aww, Wilbur! A romantic candlelit dinner? That's so sweet!**

**Wilbur: And umm…after dinner, we could…well, this place has…um…well, it's kinda corny, but…**

**Me: Wilbur, you know how much I like corny stuff.**

**Wilbur: They've got…um…gondola rides…**

**Me: (speechless)**

**Wilbur: We can skip it if you want…**

**Me: No, Wilbur! I'm just…I'm speechless. That's so romantic!**

**Wilbur: Are you saying you want to go? (bites his lip)**

**Me: Of course I want to go! I've wanted to spend a romantic evening with you for a while now. **

**Wilbur: You have? **

**Me: Yeah. All you had to do was ask, sparky. (she wraps her arms around him and kisses him. Then she rests her head on his shoulders, still hugging him) **

**Wilbur: Thanks Fortuna! I owe you one.**

**Me: (kisses him on the lips for a good thirty seconds)**

**Wilbur: Fortuna, I really **_**really **_**really ****owe you one. **

**Random Fact: There are only four words in the common English language that end in "-dous": tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous.**

* * *

**Chapter 16!!!**

_The Future City Bugle_

_June 28, 2037_

_Yesterday, the trial that has dominated radio and television waves finally culminated in a definitive sentence. The jury of twelve members of our own community found the defendants guilty on all charges. _

_The charges themselves consisted of horrendous crimes indeed, including kidnapping, physical abuse of a minor, premeditated murder in the first degree, and attempted double homicide in the second degree. _

_Roughly two months ago Wilbur Robinson, the seventeen-year-old son of noted inventor Cornelius Robinson, was kidnapped from his home and taken to Hilldale, a development that was designed to keep the nostalgia of the past alive._

_The direct kidnappers were James Brown and Mark Hanna, though the true mastermind behind the entire operation is none other than __Frederick Sinclair. Sinclair has always been known to be a model citizen, but this case revealed him to be a large figure in the criminal underworld. Frederick Sinclair was simply an alias of Marcus Frisby, who detectives believe, will be able to close a number of cold cases in the police files. _

_Frisby attended the Future City Music Conservatory with none other than Francesca Robinson, then Frammagucci, wife of Cornelius Robinson. Frammagucci was top of her class, beating Frisby in every subject available. Notably the graduation prize of a recording contract and promises of future jobs in the music world outside of Future City. Frisby confessed to every crime he was charged with, knowing his guilt was clearly provable. Frisby's sentence, 20 to life, will be carried out in solitary confinement._

_Frisby confessed that no matter how powerful he had become, his defeat at the hands of Franny Frammagucci had always haunted him. Evidence used against him in court included a ransom note demanding Frammagucci's immediate and complete exit from the music industry. _

_James Brown was singularly facing a charge of premeditated murder in the first degree and attempted manslaughter in the second degree. When law enforcement officials and medical personnel reached the house where Robinson was being held, Brown was not there and no one was aware of his involvement except for Wilbur Robinson himself. Brown broke into the Robinson home, armed, with the intention of murdering Wilbur Robinson. An unnamed friend, who wishes to remain anonymous, intervened and saved Robinson's life, jeopardizing her own in the process. _

_After a hospital stay, the friend is perfectly healthy and safe. The Robinson family and their friend are glad that these men will spend the rest of their lives behind bars. _

_Although this friend of the family wishes to remain anonymous, I cannot help but thank her for her actions. The entire city would be worse off without any single member of the Robinson family, and this reporter is certainly grateful. _

"Well, after all these years of envying Dad for getting his name in the paper, I finally got mine in," said Wilbur with a grin.

"Although I imagine this isn't exactly what you had in mind," replied Emily with a matching grin on her face.

"No, not really. But if I hadn't gotten kidnapped, I never would've met you." He kissed her lightly.

"Hmm……I don't know about that. Another few weeks and I was going to force Art to introduce me to his family."

"You were? Jeez, if I'd known that, I never would have taken a break from studying."

"Liar. You didn't even know I existed."

"Maybe not technically, but somewhere in my subconscious I-"

"What's this?" said Carl. "Wilbur, using big words like 'subconscious'? Emily, you're a great influence. You've got to help him with his English Composition work."

"I don't know, Carl. When we're together, we don't really talk a lot…" she grinned mischievously.

"Whoa!" Carl put his hands up to his face and backed up. "Too much information Em! I really don't need to know exactly what goes on between you two. What happens in Wilbur's room _stays_ in Wilbur's room." Emily and Wilbur looked at each other and grinned. "Whoa, NOT what I meant," said Carl, clearly flustered, as he was going from bad to worse.

"Easy Carl, we were just kidding. It's alright big guy," she said and put an arm around Wilbur's waist. They laughed and went into the kitchen. Rumor had it that Franny had baked an apple pie.

* * *

_**Three years later…**_

Emily and Wilbur sat on the couch in the Robinson family living room, home on a break from college. Emily was a theatre major, Wilbur, unbelievably, had chosen a double major in physical sciences and history. He was sticking to his story about becoming the founder of the Time Continuum Task Force. Everyone in the family always laughed when he said that, as they all remembered when he had shown Lewis a tanning salon coupon instead of a real badge. "Someday, Dad, I'll have a real one. Then we'll see who's laughing."

Wilbur looked down at Emily, snuggled in his arms, just as perfectly as she had the first time he kissed her. "Hey Em," he said. "Whatcha doin' on Saturday?"

"This Saturday?"

"Yeah, this Saturday."

"Nothing, why?"

"Wanna get married?"

She sat up. "You mean, like, really get married? Like, the whole ceremony and everything?"

"Yeah. We're twenty now, and I think we're ready. I talked to Mom and Dad this morning, they're both cool with it."

"I'd love to, but don't you think it's a little bit of…well, short notice?"

"I talked to all our friends. They think that our winter break needs some…spicing up. I want to marry you. I always have."

"I know. I want to marry you too. Okay. Saturday sounds perfect." She kissed him, sweet and slow, then snuggled into his arms. "But where am I going to get a dress on such short notice?"

"Mom has a tailor. She'll do anything for a Robinson. And since you're about to formally become one…" Emily smiled. "The invitations?"

"Carl can send them out in twenty minutes."

"The cake?"

"Already ordered." he said. Emily cocked one eyebrow. He grinned. "I had a feeling you'd say yes."

"Kind of a lot to bet on a 'feeling'."

"Hey, what can I say? Wilbur Robinson never fails." He grinned that cocky grin of his, and they hugged. "I can't wait. I'm finally gonna get to marry you," she said. Wilbur smiled. He pressed a button on his watch and said, "Carl, the invites are a go. Send 'em out!"

"Roger that, little buddy. Hey, congrats on the wedding Emily. Glad you two finally set a date!"

"Thanks Carl. You better be there!" she kidded. "Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss this for the world!"

They all smiled. Emily kissed Wilbur, and said that she was going upstairs to bed. She was tired. Excited, but tired, and she had a lot to do in the next few days planning for the wedding. Lots of shopping. Wilbur groaned aloud, and she playfully smacked his shoulder with the back of her hand. "It's alright, sweetie, I'll just get Franny and Lucille to come, and we'll spend the whole day gossiping about you."

"Hey! If you're gonna insult me, I'd like it better if you did it to my face."

"No sir, you've got work to do too. You've got to get fitted for your tux, rent the place for the reception, and pick your groomsmen _and _your best man!" She kissed his cheek, and gave his shoulder a squeeze before she left, taking the stairs two at a time.

Wilbur sat dumbstruck on the couch. Who in the heck was going to be his best man?


	18. The End? Probably not!

**Hey everyone! I'm soooo sorry it took forever to update. I moved all the way down to story number 13. wow. Low for me. Anyway, I've been really busy with schoolwork for the past week or so, and I went and saw bruce springsteen (twice) so I was pretty booked. Anyway, here's the final update.**

**I'd better get some reviews on this, as it is the last chapter of this story. I know, it's very sad, but I will write more MTR stuff, **_**maybe**_** a sequel if I get enough feedback. (hopefully positive)**

**12 more days (counting today) until the DVD comes out and I can (and will) watch it ****every**** day. YAY!!! I'll have Wilbur in my TV!**

**My dad went away last weekend and came back with presents for me: the entire set of the Meet the Robinsons figurines!!!! I have Wilbur, Carl, Lewis, Bowler Hat Guy, Doris, Buster, and Frankie!!! I am very excited and doing a happy dance on the inside. On the outside, I'm in my school library and would look extremely silly if I did a happy dance. ;-)**

**I tried to draw Wilbur last night. Turned out ok, but not great. That adorable tip-tilted nose of his is a huge pain in the neck to draw. Whatever. I'll try again soon. **

**Random Fact: A giraffe has a 20-inch tongue.**

**Chapter 17!!!**

* * *

_BRRRRING!_

Emily heard her alarm clock go off, and she rolled over to slap it. She took a deep breath, enjoying the sensation of simply lying in bed. She looked up at the ceiling and said to no one in particular, "I'm getting married today." _Holy crap, I'm getting married today!_ She jumped out of bed and stumbled over her dirty clothes into the bathroom.

As she looked into the mirror, she remembered what the old woman at the orphanage said to her one day, after a particularly nasty bout of teasing from the local idiots.

"_Honey, you are a beautiful girl."_

"_Yeah right," Emily had said through tears. "You're just saying that because you have to, Mildred."_

"_No, I'm saying it because it's true. Someday, you're going to meet someone special, I don't know when and I don't know how, but you'll meet him, and he'll see that glow inside you, and he'll know you're beautiful."_

"_Thanks for the attempt Mildred, but life isn't like that. I'm not gonna find some fairy tale prince who'll whisk me away and love me for all time."_

"_You will, Emily. Life is like that, for the people who work at it. You'll find your Prince Charming. Remember what Cornelius Robinson always says, keep-"_

"_Keep moving forward, I know. But I just…I can't handle always hoping for something, only to never find it."_

"_You'll find him. And if you don't he'll find you. Just live your life, and let it happen the way it's supposed to." Mildred had kissed her on the forehead, and then left to check on the younger children, a difficult task for her, as Mildred was now almost eighty. Almost eighty and still running things. Still single. But still waiting for her true love. And Mildred was confident that she would find him someday. And she had. _

So had Emily. She stood, looking at herself in the mirror, marveling at how much she had changed, and how much she had stayed the same. She shook her head to clear the nostalgia and quickly got in the shower. She had a lot to do and not much time to do it. After all, she was getting married today.

* * *

_BRRRRING!_

Wilbur heard his alarm go off and lazily reached out a hand to make it stop buzzing. He had been lying awake for hours. He was getting married today. To Emily. He couldn't help himself, a grin slowly spread across his face. He was finally going to marry her today.

All the invitations had been sent out, and everyone had said they would be delighted to attend. It was going to be the wedding of the century. Cornelius Robinson's son was getting married. Almost everyone in the city knew. Wilbur didn't care. He was marrying Emily, and nothing else mattered.

He heard a knock on his door. "Come in," he said dreamily. "Son, what're you doing still in bed? Get up! You have so much to do, the photographers will be here in a few hours, the cake needs to be picked up, and so does the band, and if the little birdy I ran into in the hall wasn't mistaken, you still haven't decided who's going to be your best man!" Cornelius said all this in one breath, very much like the son he now spoke to.

"Agh, I'm gonna kill Carl…he wasn't supposed to tell you!"

"Well, he did. But that's not the point. Get moving. I don't like to yell at you on your wedding day, but there's so much that needs to be done!"

"Okay, Dad, I'm up. Go talk to Mom, I'm sure she wants to help you put on your tie." Wilbur said, with a meaningful look at his father's light blue tie wrapped like a bow around his neck. Wilbur grinned. "See ya, Dad."

"See you soon, kiddo." He started to leave, but quickly poked his head back in. "Oh, and Wilbur?"

"Yeah Dad?"

Cornelius smiled. "Congratulations."

Wilbur smiled. "Thanks Dad."

As soon as Cornelius left, Wilbur ran to his intercom. A thought had stuck him while his father had been reprimanding him. "Carl? Are you there?"

"Sure am, little buddy. What can I do for ya?"

"Come up here, ASAP. There's something really important I need your help with."

"Right on it. I'll be there in a jiffy." And he was. Carl came running into Wilbur's room and skidded to a stop just shy of knocking Wilbur to the ground. "What is it little buddy?"

Wilbur cleared his throat. "Carl, I'm not really sure how to ask this and you know I'm not very good with serious stuff, so I'm just gonna ask. Will you be my best man?" Carl stood speechless. After about a minute he finally spoke up. "Jeez, Wilbur. Are…are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. No one's stood by me like you have. You've put up with all my stupid junk over the years, and you've always been there whenever I've said that I needed you. Carl, you're really the coolest guy I know."

"Wow, little buddy, I'm truly touched. Thanks."

"No problem, Carl."

"And I had no idea you had so few friends." Carl kiddingly punched Wilbur's shoulder. "Hey, be nice, you silly robot! I can take it back, you know."

"I know you could, but you won't," said Carl. "You're too much of a softie for that. But seriously Wilbur, thank you. This really means a lot to me that you asked."

"It means a lot to me that you said yes." Wilbur put his arms around Carl and hugged him. After about twenty seconds, Carl said, "Ya know, you're Dad's gonna be pretty darn upset if he finds you having a muchy moment instead of washing your hair and putting on your tux."

"Oh man! I've got so much to do! Hey, could you go pick up the cake and the band? The frogs are all over at Frankie's place, but their instruments are still here. Can you-"

"Take the instruments over? Sure. You got it, little buddy."

"Thanks man." As soon as Carl left, Wilbur ran into his bathroom, tripping over his shoes in the process. The family had given him his own bathroom at the tender age of five, after he had proven that he did not possess the capability to get out of the bathroom in less than an hour. The family learned the hard way that Wilbur's religiously maintained hair was of vital importance.

* * *

Emily vigorously towel-dried her hair and put on sweatpants and a camisole to go to the hairdresser. She met Wilbur in the hall on her way out the door. They kissed briefly. He told her how beautiful she looked, and she lightheartedly told him to go finish brushing his hair, at which he had playfully smacked her. The kissed again, quickly, and both went their separate ways.

* * *

Wilbur put on his tux. The photographer would be here in ten minutes, and no matter what he did, he couldn't get his bowtie to sit straight. He heard a laugh at the door and turned around. His mother stood there, a smile on her face, looking at her son who still couldn't get dressed up without help. "Here," she said with a laugh. "Let me." 

"Thanks Mom." said Wilbur gratefully. Franny took his bowtie in her slender fingers and tied it perfectly in one swift movement. "Wow, where'd you learn to do that?"

"Your father," said Franny with a laugh. "You may not think so to look at him, but he's hopeless with these things too." They both laughed. "You look pretty handsome, sweetheart."

"Thanks Mom."

"I'm so proud of you, honey." Wilbur bit his lip and held in the tear or two that were threatening to spill. "Mom, I…I owe you so much. I…well, just thanks, I guess. For everything."

"You're welcome, Wilbur. For everything."

* * *

After much hustle, bustle, and all-around chaos, everyone had made it to the wedding on time and dressed, even the groom. He stood at the front of the old Victorian church in his tux, which somehow was still spotless. After the wedding cake, it would be a different story. Wilbur stood at the altar flanked by his family and friends, both as bridesmaids and groomsmen. Everyone looked happy, but no one glowed like Carl, shining at Wilbur's side as his best man. 

Wilbur's breathing was shallow, and his knees trembled. _What if she changes her mind?_ he thought. He bit his lip, then jumped a little when he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Carl's. "Easy, little buddy. She loves you. You know that. She won't change her mind." He smiled. Wilbur nervously smiled back. "Thanks Carl," he whispered. "No problem little buddy."

The organ began to play. The gorgeous music filled every inch of the church, and Wilbur involuntarily smiled. The organ was one of the reasons Emily had wanted to get married here. The music was like nothing she'd ever heard. As the choir joined in the traditional wedding march, Emily began walking down the aisle, led by none other than Uncle Art.

He held her right arm, and couldn't take his eyes off her. Wilbur looked closely and was surprised to see tears in Uncle Art's eyes. Well, he was sort of like a father to her, and she was getting married. _To me_, he thought. _She's getting married to me_. He moved his eyes to Emily, and gasped. She was resplendent in her white gown, every bit the fairytale princess he always knew she was. Emily caught Wilbur looking at her and she smiled. He smiled back, and then, suddenly, she was there, at the altar.

Art gently lifted her veil and kissed her forehead. "I'm so proud of you, Emily."

"Thanks," she whispered. "You're welcome. You look beautiful." They were both holding back tears. He kissed her forehead again, and then took his seat with Franny, Cornelius, Bud, and Lucille.

Emily took a step forward and took Wilbur's both of Wilbur's shaking hands in her own. She gave them a squeeze, as if to let Wilbur know he could stop worrying. She was here, and they were going to be married. He squeezed back, and smiled. A single tear made its way down his cheek. "I love you," he mouthed. "Me too," she mouthed back, then she tilted her head in the direction of the minister, who stood patiently waiting.

* * *

After an hour of vows, promises, and pledges that seemed an eternity, they both heard the words they'd been longing to hear for years. "By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." Before the minister's second sentence was finished, they were in each other's arms, sharing a passionate kiss. Shorter than they wanted it to be, but passionate nonetheless. They broke apart and grinned. "I love you," they said at the same time. Completely unrehearsed. Cheers went up from the guests, and the newly married Mr. and Mrs. Robinson ran down the aisle into the limo that would take them to their reception.

* * *

At the reception, Emily and Wilbur accepted praise and congratulations from many, and all were heartfelt. They'd be returning to college soon as husband and wife, and their friends couldn't wait. The gold rings glittered on their fingers, and they couldn't stop smiling. 

Later, after many of the guests had returned home, Carl spoke with the couple, something he'd been waiting to do for hours. He hugged them both warmly. "Congrats, you guys! I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks Carl. Never thought you'd get me in a tux, did you?" said Wilbur, grinning.

"Never thought you'd keep it clean as long as you did, more like it."

"Hey! That's not fair! That cake was pretty crumby." Emily playfully slapped his shoulder. "Wilbur, that pun wasn't funny when your father said it earlier, and it's certainly not funny now." Wilbur put his hand over his heart and pretended to be hurt. "Awww, you big baby. Come here," she said, and kissed him. He brightened. "You know that _always_ makes me feel better." They all laughed.

"Seriously though, little buddy, I'm really proud of you. You too, Em."

"Thanks Carl, that really means a lot."

"No problem, Emily. Now that you're a Robinson, you're officially my other 'little buddy'. Now I've got two!"

"Well Carl," said Emily, her hand resting gently on her stomach, looking at Wilbur and grinning, "In a few years, you might have three!" Wilbur laughed, and kissed Emily. This one lasted longer than the kiss at the altar.

Carl laughed a little too, then stopped. "Three?!?!?"

**A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed, and for your glowing accolades and fresh feedback. I love you all, and will hopefully write a sequel to this lovely story. **

**Wilbur: Thanks everybody. I really appreciated your reviews and support, especially when I was stuck in the basement. (looks pointedly at Emily with his arms crossed)**

**Me: I told you I'd make it up to you. Didn't I do a good job?**

**Wilbur: I guess…**

**Me: (looks hurt)**

**Wilbur: Of course you did! (mumbles) You even made me cry a little.**

**Me: (huggles and glomps Wilbur) Aww!!! Thanks Wilbur! **

**Wilbur: Thanks again everybody!**


End file.
